Do not enter
by Shadow12300
Summary: do not enter


**Three Made Men and a Bella**

by Positively 4th Street

**BELLA X EDWARD, BELLA X JASPER, BELLA X EMMETT**

**Story is based on a **_**poly **_**relationship. No slash. Three guys, one girl, seperate sexual**

**relationships. Not everybody's cup of tea - certainly wouldn't normally be mine, but**

**it's actually a very sweet story, y'know, minus all the mob crap and mindless**

**violence :) Will be quite angsty in some places - dark themes ahoy! Give it a read ;)**

**Story Summary: **_**They infiltrated the rival mob family's storehouse. They made their**_

_**kills. Blood was spilled, lives were lost. Their stolen goods retrieved. But what they**_

_**found in a backroom – none of them were prepared for. And none were willing to let**_

_**her go. So began the sharing of the Swan... AH**_**.**

**Meyer owns the lot, ruddy lucky woman! Humph. Please don't steal my plot. I'd cry.**

**A/N: This came to me in a, ahem, very NICE dream. *Blushes* And I had to write it**

**down. I could never make up my mind who I liked the most, so why not just have at**

**'em all says I…**

**Few things to note:**

**This IS a 'mob' story.**

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**There will be swearing, violence, angst, upset, lots of unpleasant scenarios, probably**

**lemons, etc…**

**The…'relationship' in this fic is not your average one. It's a little different but very**

**special, and they make it work. One girl who is the gleam in three men's eyes. They**

**would do anything for her :)**

_Chapter one_

"_One gonna heal my body another gonna heal my pain,_

_One gonna settle me down then bring me back up again,_

_I'm gonna put my family…back together again."_

_State Radio – 'Keepsake.'_

_Bella_

I was curled up on James' lap, his arms holding me tightly, his words trying to soothe me

by telling me that it was alright, that I was safe, that none of them were ever going to let

anything happen to me.

Lies. All lies.

They couldn't stop the inevitable. They'd certainly give it a good bash, but they'd fail.

Some people just can't be saved.

I was one of those people. Unfortunate. But inescapable.

I toked furiously on my cigarette. My hand was shaking so hard that ash was falling all

over my lap. I didn't care.

My jaw trembled and my breathing was ragged. This made inhaling my preferred poison

difficult. I was forced to take short, quick, desperate draws. One straight after the other. I

inhaled through my mouth and blew out through my nose. It was like one rapid assembly

line – lips, suck, inhale, exhale, lips, suck, inhale, exhale. Again and again. Over and

over. I wasn't getting the hit I wanted. The hit I needed. The burning in my lungs wasn't

there. This simply wound me up even more.

I couldn't even smoke a cigarette properly. I was a fucking mess.

I whimpered and began to rock backwards and forwards, an action I resorted to when all

else failed. Hot tears streaked down my cool cheeks, stinging them as they snail- trailed

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their way to my jaw, before making their leaped escape. Lucky bastards. I wish I could

leave me.

The cigarette was finished and my anxiety heightened. I could no longer control the

rocking, the small, hurt animal noises or the tears. It all just built and built into one

continuous jumble. I knew the drill. Eventually, I'd black out. Mentally exhausted and

physically spent. I just wished it didn't take so long to get there.

I was vaguely aware that one of James' arms had left me. I heard a rustle, a click and the

distinct sound of a cigarette end burning as its smoker feasted on its deliciousness. I could

smell the released smoke as it wafted around me, bathing me. It was glorious. I closed my

eyes to savour it. The first expelled drag always smelled the sweetest, especially when it

was somebody else's. Your own could never quite smell that good for some reason.

James' face rested on top of my head, "Bella," he murmured softly, offering me the

smoke. I reached out for it but my fingers just wouldn't grasp it. Too many tremors.

My sobs broke out.

Useless. That's what I was. Utterly and completely useless. This was just one of many

examples.

I don't know why they bothered with me. I was that baby lamb you found caught in the

barbed wire fence. You can try as much as you want to free it, but the wool's too caught

up. It's distressed, scared, in pain and all alone. You can't save it. It would be kinder to

just shoot the poor thing. That was me. A lamb in the wire. But they would never shoot

me; they just kept trying to free me. Wouldn't work.

I buried my face into James' neck and listened to him cooing and shushing me, trying to

calm me.

"It's ok Bella, baby girl you're alright," he whispered.

I shook my head fiercely. None of this was alright. The fact that once again, they had to

spend all of this time and effort with me when they had better things to be doing – was

definitely not OK. I was a burden, and a heavy one at that. Especially for James, who got

stuck dealing with my bullshit for so much of the time.

James Shott – one of their best men, turned babysitter. It wasn't right.

And then there was guilt. Lots of guilt.

I was no good. I was a pain. The fly in the ointment. The stick in the mud. The thorn in

everybody's side. They'd all function so much better without me. They'd get on with life

the way they used to, before I came in and ruined everything.

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"Bella hunny, breathe," James said tenderly as he stroked my hair. "You need to breathe,

Bella."

I hadn't even noticed I'd stopped.

Another one of my talents – stupidity.

Sometimes I found myself wishing it would all just stop. That I could float away and

cease to be their problem. I'd even made a few deliberate attempts. They always found

me, always 'saved' me. They thought they were doing me -and themselves- a favour.

They genuinely believed I was worth keeping around. Apparently, I'm not the only stupid

one. Though, they did have the sense to lock away all of the medication, and one of them

has to be present _at all times _when I want to shave now. They gain ten logic points for

that. Loose twelve to more stupidity though. In the long run – they should let me at them

and leave me be. It would be better for them. But they don't 'see' it.

"Bella," James began to shake me lightly, "you have to breathe sweetheart."

A simple enough request.

And I tried. I really, really did.

Nothing happened, and the panic began.

For all of my attempts, not being able to breathe terrified me. Every so often, when an

attack set in, my throat just seemed to close up and my body became starved of oxygen.

And I hated it. I think it was something to do with the lack of control. You could control

how many pills you took and simply…slip away. You could control how deep to cut and

bask in the light- headedness that shrouded you as you bled out. But this, this you couldn't

control.

And instead of thinking calm things, all I could think of was the memories. The one's I

tried desperately to banish, but continued to haunt me. I could remember the fear, hear

the crackle of the bag, smell the plastic, and feel the smoothness of it as it went over my

head, tightening around my neck, choking me.

I began to thrash about. An instinctive reaction. The bag had to come off. This was not

how I wanted to die. It was not the last feeling or memory I wanted to have. I had to try

and fight it.

Fuck, I couldn't breathe.

Somebody started to shake me harder, calling out to me. Just like the last time. It was

disorientating. The bag, the dread, the aggressive shaking, all the noise that was suddenly

there, the breathless gasping like a fish out of water - I couldn't discern what to focus on

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banishing first. I couldn't focus with so much noise, with all the movements, which were

becoming rapidly more violent. It was sensory overload.

The shaking had to stop. The noise I could probably block out somehow, but being

handled like a ragdoll was making my predicament worse. I needed stillness. I had to

preserve what little breath I had left in me, not have it knocked out of me.

I kicked out. I sent reserves of failing energy out towards my hands and feet. I arched my

back and flailed with as much might as I could muster. Even a fish out of water can flip

and flop about, putting up its last fight. I would do the same.

More noise. Lots more noise.

Block it out; have to block it all out. Have to fight. Keep fighting.

Kick, bite, slap, punch, scratch, claw, strike – anything. You have to do whatever you

can.

My back slammed into something hard and I felt what little precious air I had left, leave

me. I was out of time. There was no breath left.

My fingers made contact with flesh. He would not take me. He would not. I needed to get

the bag off. I had to breathe. I had to stop the plastic from biting into my neck. I could

feel the blackness tugging me, pulling me to it. And I didn't want to go. I would not go.

I dug my fingernails in and pulled.

There was a distant sound of a loud cry. It was animalistic, and raw, and all man.

"…GET THE FUCKING SHOT NOW!"

My fingers began to slide away slowly, dropping to the floor.

I could feel my throat, my shoulders and my stomach all heaving, all desperate for air, for

some shred of oxygen, for anything but this. Black spots danced their way into my vision,

doing some kind of mocking tango. They were pleased to be there and showing off what

they could do, parading their impressively fast moves, welcoming the swarms of others to

join in for the final encore. They were determined to go out in style before the final

curtain fell.

My cheek stung with a sudden impact, and a chorus of 'BELLA' began. The vision

impairing spots all bowed gracefully and the curtain began its slow descent.

Screams and shouts sounded from all around, they were fuzzy, like listening to a radio

station tha t you just can't get tuned in right. There were banging and pounding sounds

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and lots of feet shuffling. There was tugging and pulling, what felt like some shaking.

Yelling, demanding, pleading…desperation?

But the spots were done and the curtain was just about drawn completely closed. The

encore was finished. The show had come to an end.

And oddly, there was something quite peaceful about it all.

A small pinch.

A huge gasp.

A rush of air.

Small twinkling stars replaced the dull, black spots.

I bolted upright, only for my eyes to roll into the back of my head and my body to slump

back towards the ground, my sense of equilibrium escaping me just as the traitor tears

from earlier had done. Only I didn't hit the floor. And I wasn't the only one panting

heavily.

Strong arms circled my waist, a chest pressed into my back, puffing up and down

frantically. Something fell ungracefully onto my shoulder, causing something else to

tickle my neck.

I was awash in a mass of confusion, trying to sort through thoughts and eve nts like a

jigsaw puzzle that had missing pieces.

"This house…is full…of fucking…chumps," somebody gasped.

I recognised the voice from somewhere within the scrambled mess that was my 'working'

mind.

Somebody growled, "want to explain to me what the _fuck _happened?"

Recognised that one too. That angry voice was hugely familiar and could only belong to

one person…

A big paw of a hand began running over the top of my head, seemingly with no steady

rhythm. The…body that it appeared to belong to was still heaving deeply behind me, as if

winded.

"She okay Em?" Another voice asked.

Every speaker sounded like they'd just run a marathon. Fuck, I _felt _like I'd just run one.

My head was pounding with the blood that was rushing through it and my throat was so

7

dry, that when I took my next deep breath, it irritated the sensitive skin lining my

oesophagus and I began to hack and gag.

"WATER, NOW!" Someone bellowed.

And I couldn't seem to stop. And I couldn't catch my breath. My body shuddered

ferociously and the panic set in…again. Tears began to stream from my eyes as my throat

opened and closed without allowing air in or out, because clearly, once hadn't been

enough tonight. So here's to round two and cringe-worthy, retching noises. Bottoms up,

cheers!

Something wet splashed against my leg, soaking through the thin material of my dress.

The arms that were still snaked tightly around me pulled me closer, moving me across the

floor until it seemed we were sitting up, leaning against something for support. The puller

tried to pull me further back against them but my hacking body demanded I sit straight

up. I tried to fight them off, but their arms were too strong.

"Bella baby, you need to relax," the puller whispered into my ear.

I resorted to arching my back again, my bare feet sliding across the cold, hardwood floor.

My fingers pulled and nudged at the arms, my hands slapped against them. But they

didn't move. The minute they did, I could have thrown my body with some force, and

they clearly didn't want that to happen. The vice- like grip remained, hugging me to them.

I felt someone who clearly wasn't the puller still my hands' movements as a glass was

brought to my lips and tipped upwards.

Cold…wet…crisp…delicious!

My cracked, trembling lips parted and greedily gulped, snorted and swallowed, making

me choke instantly. I spluttered and spilled and soaked my clothing. I didn't care. I was a

dribbling, desperate mess. I still didn't care.

The water soothed my aching throat, extinguishing the burning flames. I closed my eyes

and felt the last of my tears trickle. I stopped fighting so hard against the restrainers and

simply let my feet continue their sliding motions against the varnished floor, finding the

action to be somewhat comforting.

I eventually found myself falling into step as I drank, my breathing calmed and my panic

dissipated. One of my hands remained on the puller's arm, the other gently gripping onto

the hand that held the glass - I felt like I'd had my energy sucked from me but I wasn't

willing to let that glass disappear, it felt like my lifeline.

"James, get someone to bring in another glass of water," the angry voice from earlier

spoke lightly now, all traces of said anger long gone. Replaced with concern and…love?

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Another set of hands were on me, stroking my face and wiping away fallen tears. The

pullers head shifted on my shoulder, turning inwards, and I felt warm lips leave a trail of

soft, wet kisses against my neck as their hands dug protectively into my body. The water

provider's fingers were still holding the glass to me, though their pointer finger kept

sweeping across my hand tenderly. I hummed in contentment from the differing

sensations and the sound heightened through the glass.

I felt…much better. Exhausted, but better.

My ears pricked at the sound of footsteps clicking against the hard floor, another set

seemed to pick up quickly, only they were duller, more flat sounding. If my hearing was

correct, they'd gone to meet to clicker's, for they both seemed to stop and meet a small

distance away.

A tut.

"Don't even think about starting," a strong, male voice spoke quietly but with such

fierceness, that had I not been accustomed to it - would have scared me.

I heard a scoff. Female…?

"What? Pampered, broken, little princess have another _episode_?" The other sneered.

Definitely female. Definitely familiar. Definitely not someone I wanted anywhere near

me.

The person stroking my face stilled immediately. The puller tensed and lifted their face

from my neck. Water provider seemed to loose focus and stopped tipping the glass. My

water supply was cut off.

I whimpered, my throat was still sore. I needed more.

She snorted, "God, look at you all. It's actually quite pathetic."

"Get. Out." I cringed away from the words. Deadly, calm and dangerous.

My throat began to burn aga in. I shifted my position, hoping to fling myself from puller's

grasp in search of my water. I didn't budge an inch.

"Oh look, she even got to James. Impressive," she cooed in that sickeningly sweet voice

that made me want to vomit. "Very well, here you are."

The clicking sounds of her heels began to fade away and I wanted to scream 'hallelujah'

from the top of my lungs, but they were a tad fucked, so I opted for a relieved sigh.

"Oh and Bella," she sang from somewhere, "he _will _get you, you know…"

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About ninety things seemed to happen all at the same time…

My eyes flew open.

I stopped breathing, for the third time that night.

My panic spiked and my heart began to beat so fast, I swear it was trying to flee from my

chest – which felt as though it was collapsing in on itself and crushing me.

James dropped the glass of water _she'd _just given him as his eyes bugged.

Jasper, who was in front of me, shot straight up; throwing his glass at the door I

presumed _she'd _just walked out of.

Edward was at my side and then gone the next second, stalking furiously from the room

with James hot on heels. Both men looking larger and more menacing than I'd ever seen

them…it was like watching the force of a wrecking ball take it's first swing, right before

the almighty destruction took place. Frightening…yet beautiful.

I was swept up in a pair of arms that I now identified as being Emmett's, cradled and

taken over to a sofa where he cuddled me into him protectively.

Lots of shouting began from other rooms all over the house.

Jasper sat next to Emmett and took my feet in his lap, threw a blanket over me and began

to massage my legs and ease the tension.

And they both began their chants.

"We've got you Bella."

"He will never hurt you Bella."

"We would never let him anywhere near you, Bella."

"You don't have to worry about him, Bella."

"We'd die before ever allowing him to get within a thousand miles of you, Bella."

It was like it all happened on fast play. Somehow, my mind couldn't quite keep up. I was

aware of all the yelling going on, of the soothing words being said, of the comfort being

offered. But I didn't quite take any of it in. I was too caught up in the memories. Too far

gone to absorb any of it fully…

_My wrists were scabbed and bleeding, held up in chains attached to the ceiling._

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_Things were too quiet. Deathly quiet. He liked it that way. Liked me being able to hear_

_him approaching from the other end of the corridor._

_I'd witnessed him go through three girls already, right in front of my eyes. He was_

_impressed with how long I'd lasted. He rewarded me by_…

Don't think about it! DO NOT think about it!

_The girls would scream and scream. He liked that. He tried to make me scream. I bit_

_through my lip trying not to._

_Made me watch as he_...

Oh God.

_Covered me in it after he'd peeled it from their bones. Still warm. Still dripping._

I screamed.

I could feel it one me. It was there. Warm but cooling. Sticking to me like Velcro as the

thick, gooey redness held it in place. I could smell it. Rusty and disgusting, but with a

hint of _their _smell too…

Oh God, please, no.

It had to come off. I had to get it off.

My hands flew up but I couldn't reach my face in time. Emmett's bear sized paws were

holding me back.

"Bella, look at me. Look at me, Bella. There's nothing there. I promise, baby, nothing

there. It's all up here," he pointed to my head. Chanting the same things over and over

like a broken record player.

But it was there. I could feel it. I could smell it, making my stomach lurch. Why was he

stopping me? Couldn't he see it needed to come off? Why was he torturing me like this?

Hadn't I already had enough? Been through…enough?

"Bella Darlin' there's nothing there, you need to listen to us," Jasper added, gripping my

legs.

Not him too. Why were they doing this to me? I thought they loved me?

I could feel the drip, drip, drip of it falling into my eyes, onto my shoulder, pooling at my

feet. I screamed again, and this time, I didn't stop. My entire body convulsed and rebelled

11

against their restraint. I didn't care if I had to claw my own skin off to be rid of it, it had

to go.

"Bella please! You need to calm down. There's nothing there baby!"

I was passed listening. Long passed being reasoned with.

"GET OFF ME!" The screech was foreign even to my own ears. There was little to

nothing I recognised about the voice that just came from…me.

My weary body was running on fumes, but I managed to wriggle one arm free.

The sting I felt as I clawed at my neck was beyond satisfying. I was aware of a

certain…cleansed feeling that overcame that part of myself.

"EDWARD!"

Emmett was making a desperate attempt of snatching my arm back. But with the struggle

I was putting forth, and with him trying to keep my other arm free from myself, he wasn't

making any progress. Jasper was being kept busy holding down my legs.

I could feel the goo seeping into my hair, colouring and staining it, falling from my brow

and dripping into my lap. I started on my hair next, shedding it. Needing to be rid of it.

"I'm gonna have that fucking bitch strung up!" Edward barked as he strode into the room,

bent down and gripped my arm, halting my efforts. I began tensing my body and

throwing it up. But the fight was leaving me. My energy was waning. And I wouldn't be

able to keep going much longer.

Three. That's what it took. Three men, the smallest standing at 6'1 and being 220 pounds

of pure muscle. All for me. Little Bella Swan...5'2 and a whole 98 pounds.

I felt fingers grasp my chin and turn my face.

"Bella?"

Emerald pools. Bright, sparkling and so, so green. Kind, caring, loving - home.

My body sunk.

He gave me a sad smile, "nothing there, baby girl. Nothing there." He soothed as he ran

his fingers through my hair and over my face, holding them up to show me. "See?"

My eyes pricked and my lips trembled.

There was nothing there.

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I flipped the fuck out – again. Too caught up and scared of my own memories. I doubted

I'd ever be free of them.

A sob tore its way up my inflamed throat and strangled its way through my teeth.

"Oh no, Bella, don't," Edward cooed gently, bending to brush a feather light kiss against

my forehead.

Jasper moved from the sofa, lightly placing my feet against the soft fabric and came to

kneel next to Edward. "Not your fault baby," he hushed, stroking and bending my fingers

within his. I violently began nodding my head, it was my fault. All of it. They should

have just left me there to rot. Look at what I'd done tonight. How much of their time had I

taken up? I was destroying them. "No, Bella. It isn't." He stated firmly.

"I'm s-sorry," I whispered roughly.

Emmett shifted then, bringing me up to a sitting position whist still cradled tightly in his

arms. He slid forwards until he was sat on the edge of the sofa, my small feet dangling,

not even touching the ground. I curled into him, burying my face but not having the

energy to wrap my arms around his neck. "She's exhausted, let's get her up." His voice

carried a number of emotions. Sadness, regret – probably for not being here today, hurt –

he hated that he couldn't save me from the past, hated that I did this to myself, that then

offset the guilt, then there was his quiet fury at what _she _had done. Then there was

suspicion. He would be mapping out my day, trying to find the trigger to my panic attack

in the first place. On top of all of that, there was the overwhelming love. I didn't deserve

it. Any of it. Not from any of them. But for some strange reason, I had it. From these

three incredible men. I owned their hearts, and they owned mine – whatever that was

worth.

"We need to get her cleaned up," Jasper said, his voice even and matter of fact. That tore

at my heart a little. They were all too used to this. It was second nature to them now to

just…deal with me. 'We need to get her cleaned up' – he could have been stating it was

pizza night with that voice. It was simply all too familiar to them. And that was all on me.

All because I just couldn't be…normal for them, any of them.

I told them that once, that I wished I could be _right _for them. I'd never brought it up

again. Edward, my hothead, walked away from me, angry that I'd even, and I quote,

'suggested such a preposterous thing, Bella' – apparently I'm 'perfect' just the way I am.

He took a pool cue to the games room and destroyed four machines, worried that I'd leave

because of my own self- loathing. He didn't hurt my custom-made _Mrs Pac-Man _machine.

Emmett was pissed about his matching custom-made _Mr Pac-Man _being bludgeoned to

death though… Jasper, usually so calm and collected, threw a chair out the window and

questioned me relentlessly for twenty minutes, drilling me about who had made me, and I

quote, 'talk such complete bollocks.' I didn't tell him that the cook, Ben, had mentioned

something about my attacks and made me feel a little self-conscious. Jasper would have

killed him. Literally. And I didn't think the guy really meant any harm. Jasper wouldn't

13

have cared though. Even if I'd spent hours pleading with him not to hurt Ben, he wouldn't

have listened. Best to say nothing, I learned that the hard way. And Emmett, oh my sweet

bear. Emmett made me cry. He'd given me such an astonished look. He didn't understand

what I was talking about, where I was coming from or what was going on in my mind to

say such an 'awful' thing. And I quote, 'you're everything to us just the way you are.'

My beautiful, stupid boys. Oh how I loved them. I just wished I wasn't absolute poison to

be around. They deserved so much better.

Edward swung into action, "I'll get her showered. Jaz could you do her some tea? Em, all

yours buddy."

Shit.

"Em, please don't hurt anyone," I whispered.

He kissed the top of my forehead and handed me over to Edward. "You go get into bed

and I'll see you up there in a few precious girl."

I didn't miss the fact that he didn't answer my request. That meant…bad things.

All three of them were generally very open with me, though they tried to shy me away

from the…nature of their work, especially given past events. If I ever asked for the world,

they'd hunt down every world leaded, 'get them out of the way' and offer it to me on a

silver platter. They'd do it in a heartbeat and think of the consequences later. The one and

only thing they ever _point-blank _refused me was an objection to a…_decision _they'd made

that involved me somehow. Then it was off the table and not up for discussion. It didn't

matter if I begged, pleaded, got on my knees and made it clear that it would hurt and

upset me. They ignored me, charged ahead and dealt with my silent treatments

afterwards. Of course, when I say _decision_, I mean somebody's gonna get fucked up, if

not killed. It usually involves somebody who's 'wronged' me – doesn't matter how trivial,

doesn't even have to be anybody's actual fault – they have their own _special _way of

seeing things when it comes to me. I.e. they don't see - they're completely blind. I could

trip over thin air and cut up my hands – all my own fault, they'd still blame the poor

schmuck who was _ten feet _away from me at the time, for not catching me. They'd pay

him a visit later, after hours of fussing over me and my _grazed _hands. I wish I could say

this was just an example. There's been four poor shmuck's so far – that I'm aware of.

It was the one thing we always argued about. I didn't want blood on my hands.

Emmett's avoidance spoke volumes. Someone was in trouble.

"Edward please, don't let him hurt anybody," I begged.

"Let's go get you in the shower," he smiled down at me.

14

I closed my eyes, defeated and feeling guilty. Off the table…

He walked me through the huge entrance parlour and up the intricate, winding stairs. He

made his way around the semi-circle landing and stopped a few doors down, opening my

bedroom door.

It was ostentatious and completely over the top – of course, but I was fond of my room.

He didn't really give me a chance to admire it, instead, he marched straight into my

gigantic bathroom suite and over to the shower, flicking switches and pressing buttons,

never putting me down. Spray nozzles of every shape and size began to sprout water from

every direction. Whatever happened to a singular nozzle I hear you ask? Buggered if I

know, this house is the house that single-nozzled showers forgot.

He walked over to the dresser, pulling out some pyjamas for myself and him, and

dumped them on the marble floor. They spend so much time in here with me that I

insisted on adding a piece of furniture just for their things. Well, truth be told, it was

Maggie, our lovely housekeeper, that made the suggestion. The poor woman mentioned

she'd end up having an aneurism if she had to keep witnessing my naked boys leaving my

room in the mornings after stealing in to shower with me. With Maggie at fifty-eight, I

didn't want the burden or risk on my shoulders. I ordered the dresser that same day.

"Okay baby girl, you think you can stand up?" Edward asked.

I looked up at him, biting my lip. I didn't know if I could. I felt completely spent. And my

God, there was that look again. They each had it. Complete and utter adoration. For me.

My stupid, silly boys. They would never learn.

Edward began lowering me, my feet barely grazing the ground. When I put a little effort

into straightening out and supporting myself, I turned to Jell-O and collapsed.

_That'll be a no then_…

Edward caught me - as always - and gently sat me down.

I burst into tears.

Pathetic? Yes.

Rational? No.

Sane? I think we said a long goodbye to that one a while ago…

"Hey, hey, hey, what's all this?" He began to frantically brush my hair aside and cup my

face. And there's the worry. I don't even know how any of them ever leave the house

without me. They worry constantly. Em wanted to stay with me this morning. Said he felt

'off' about leaving me. I insisted he went with the others. Told him to stop being

15

ridiculous. They had important mob-crap, as I eloquently liked to call it, to do. They

made James come home early to be with me. Good job they did.

Emmett will be thrashing himself now for leaving. Again, my insistence – my fault. They

don't see it.

"I'm so useless," I swiped angrily at my nose. "Can't even stand up without needing help.

It'd be easier on you all living with a fucking crippled vegetable who can't even wipe

their own ass!"

His eyes blazed.

Yup, crossed a line.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that, arms up." Fuck, now I'd made him mad.

I did as I was told and – with some help, managed to lift my bottom half just enough for

Edward to remove my dress and underwear. It took him all of five seconds to shred his

own clothing. Fucker was fast.

He lifted me not saying a word. He was stewing. Just what I wanted, a brooding Edward!

The water was hot and felt amazing against my skin. Edward set me down on the tiled

floor and adjusted the shower sprays to where I presumed we'd be _sitting_. He sat down

next to me, sliding me without effort to come in between his legs. My head fell back

automatically against his hard chest, and his arms instantly circled around me, ho lding

me tight. We stayed that was for a little while, I swear, I almost fell asleep.

Jolted back to consciousness only when Edward slid me forwards just a little, lifting my

hair to soak it with water.

"Motherfucker," he seethed, his fist slamming into the tiled wall three times.

I went rigid. "What?" I asked, panicked.

"Fucking kill him, son of a bitch…" he began to mumble as he flipped the cap on my

shampoo bottle and lathered my hair up. It was odd. I'd seen all three of my boys angry,

probably not at their absolute worst, but pretty worked up, yet when it came to me, they

could be blind with rage inside, yet shampoo my hair with the lightest, most caring touch.

When I'm angry – I'm just angry. It pretty much gets inflicted on anyone who's near me.

Not these guys. Well, not with me anyway.

With my hair rinsed, he lathered it up again. The damn sickly-sweet strawberries smell

wafting all around us. Apparently, when they…found me, I smelled like strawberries. It's

been effing strawberry scented everything ever since. It would seem I'm eight years old…

16

I tried buying myself new products once. They mysteriously disappeared the next

morning, only to have been replaced with full bottles of, yep, you guessed it – strawberry

stuff. Silly boys.

He left my hair for a while, soaping my body and cleaning me all over. He lifted me and

turned me so that I was straddling him; he paid attention to cleaning the front of my body

before telling me to lean back. His fingers worked meticulously as he rinsed to soap from

my hair once again. When I pulled back towards him, he had _that _look on his face. The

one they all get sometimes. It screams love, but also pain. It's there 'I love you so much it

hurts' look, and it really pulls at my heart. It's intense and unwavering, and it makes me

uncomfortable. Because they shouldn't love me. I'm broken goods – the kind that can't be

fixed. And they could do so, so much better.

He began to grit his teeth. "Stop. It."

Crap.

I gulped, "stop what?"

Nonchalance is the best policy…

"I can see it, Bella. Stop thinking that. Now," he demanded.

I had nothing in the way of a response. We saw it differently. Agree to disagree I guess.

His hands pulled my face to his, "I mean it."

And so do I.

He kinda looked like he wanted to choke some 'sense' into me. But I'd had quite enough

of that for one night. Instead, he kissed me. One of those searing, slow building kisses

that just make you melt into a big puddle.

I moaned. My fingers found their way into his hair and pulled gently as his tongue snaked

inside my mouth.

Jesus, it was hot in here.

I wanted to grind, oh how I wanted to. But after the nights…festivities, I didn't think I

had it in me to see it all the way through. And him being the intuitive ass that he is - knew

this. He slowed the kiss and gave me a final peck. His eyes all lit up like Christmas trees.

"I love you," he murmured.

I gave him a shy smile, I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't, but I didn't want to push my

luck. "I love you too."

17

He lifted me, turned off the shower and wrapped me up in a huge, fluffy towel. He

rubbed me down and dried me off before even thinking about wrapping one around

himself. He set me down and helped me into some boy shorts and a tank top, before

lifting me to the counter and giving me my toothbrush loaded with paste. Clearly, I was

such a spastic that I couldn't manage that action _by myself_. I let it go, too tired to argue.

He'd just slipped into his flannel pants when the door knocked.

"You guys done? I've got Bella's tea," Jasper called through the door.

Edward flung it open to reveal a pyjama pants clad Jasper.

"Yo!"

Edward rolled his eyes and came over to the sink to brush his own teeth.

Jaz came in, set my tea down and began to pick up after Edward and I. He was the neat

freak. Edward liked things done a…certain way, Jaz was the tidy freak and Emmett was

just a slob. We shared that in common. Drove the other two nuts.

Edward rinsed his mouth and took my brush from me; obviously, I couldn't rinse and

store my own toothbrush either.

"Don't even think about starting," he raised his eyebrows – a challenge, I think - towards

me.

I held my hands up in mock surrender, "I didn't say anything."

"Didn't have to," he grumbled. "Jaz, watch Bella, I'm gonna go check on Em."

Jasper saluted, still hanging up towels. He - eventually - walked over to me, his hands

sliding up my bare legs and resting just inside my shorts.

"Hi," he whispered.

I grinned, "hi yourself."

His lips brushed against mine lightly, his fingers grasping onto me tighter. "Feeling

better?"

I nodded, "just tired." As if on cue, I yawned.

Jasper chuckled and lifted me from the counter; my legs seemed to have recovered

enough to wrap themselves around his waist. He walked me over to the other counter -

the vanity counter, not the sink counter, yes, I rolled my eyes too – and set me down on

my chair. He hopped up and spun me round so that I was no longer facing him, placing

18

his feet next to me. This was kind of mine and Jaspers routine; he loved to play with my

hair. He gently brushed it all out before coming at me with the hairdryer.

Fifteen minutes later, I was all done and my tea was cold. Stupid, thick hair.

"Where's my baby at?" My bear boomed. "Jasper, quit hogging her!"

"Ass," he muttered, before kissing my temple and hopping down just as Emmett rounded

the corner.

"You want some more tea Darlin'?" Jasper asked affectionately, _that _look in his eyes.

Christ almighty…

"No thanks Jaz, too tired."

Emmett was suddenly bent in front of me, lifting my hair and bending my face to the

side. "Sure did a number on your neck baby," he frowned.

I shrugged. I didn't care. I wanted to go to bed. I'd cry about it in the morning.

"Sleep?" I just nodded, burying my face into his shoulder.

Maybe I passed out. Must have done. When I opened my eyes again, I was situated, lying

on top of my Emmett, in my bed, the feel of his insanely muscled, smooth eight-pack

beneath me, my cheek pressed against his neck. Emmett was _all _muscle. The guy was a

machine and stood at 6'6. He completely dwarfed me. He was a protector in every sense.

His large hands were splayed against my naked back making delicate, light strokes

against my skin, my top resting somewhere near my shoulder blades. I took a deep breath

and inhaled Emmett's scent. His face nudged against my head, pressing a sweet kiss to

my forehead.

"Love you Bells."

I looked up, _that _look on his face. Well, that's three outta three, can't get fairer than that…

"Love you too bear." He bent to give me a soft, delicate kiss before I resumed my

position.

"Em?"

"What baby?"

"Where are Edward and Jaz?"

19

He brought a hand up to stroke through my hair, "they'll be up soon, I promise."

"M'kay," I mumbled.

I was nearly gone when I remembered, "Em?"

"Yeah precious?"

"You didn't hurt anyone, did you?"

Another kiss to my head, "you get some sleep baby, yo u must be exhausted."

Still off the table then…

(-)

The room was pitch black when I semi-roused, still feeling utterly out it. I was still

splayed on Emmett, one of his hands on my back, the other holding one of my own

hands. There were fingers stroking my hair which I instantly knew would be Jaspers,

Edward had a hold of my other hand.

There were many nights when we all slept together. The boys had initially done a tally-up

of how 'gay' it was, but relented as soon as they realised the alternative was to be away

from me. I'll say it again, silly boys! Some nights, it would just be me and one of them. I

rarely slept alone. Nightmares would plague me and they'd all bust in like the damn ATeam

upon hearing me so much as whimper. They'd all end up in with me then, none of

them wanting to leave.

"What do you mean, he's fucking marked her?" Jasper hissed.

"Bruises on her back," Edward responded.

"I'll fucking kill him…"

"Said when she flipped out the first time, everyone had scattered and he had to pin her to

the ground. Fair point. Still fucking bruised her though. Wrong fucking move."

Emmett cleared his throat, "Edward, she's gonna fit when she sees what you did to him

tomorrow. She's fond of James."

He sighed, "I know."

He did what to James? What's Edward done? Who does Jasper want to kill?

Fuck, I'm sleepy.

20

"You really fucked him up Eddie, seriously, she's gonna fucking mow your ass down in

the morning," Emmett groaned quietly. "Which means she'll be pissed with us too,

thinking we were 'in' on it. Fuck!"

He hurt James?

WHY?

What the hell did he do to James?

The hell with that, what did James ever do to him? Poor James.

God, what an ass! If he's so much…as touched…a hair on

James'…he…head…I'll…kick…hi-…i- i- i-in…nuts.

Basta-

Zzzzzzz.

**Would love to hear your thoughts, let me know if you think I should continue! :)**

**Chapter 2**

**Meyer owns the lot! Don't steal my plot – I'll have Emmett sit on you.**

**A/N: Here's chapter 2. Really happy with the response this story seems to have**

**generated in the…few hours it's been up, lots of hits, lots of favs/alerts added. And**

**of course, a HUGE thank you for the reviews. They mean the world, really. It can**

**spur you on to keep going with positive responses, so please, keep it up :)**

**My hands are actually killing me from typing so much, I got chapter one done**

**yesterday (8,000 words apparently, my longest ever) – it took all day – and have**

**cracked on like a mad woman today to get the second out. So really hope you enjoy**

**it.**

_Chapter Two_

_Bella_

I didn't want to open my eyes. I wanted to stay like this, forever. I felt so warm and fuzzy

and just so absolutely safe. Curled up on Emmett still, listening to his heart beating and

21

feeling his chest rising and falling beneath me, lifting my body with every inhale. He was

running his fingers up and down my arms so lightly, it almost tickled.

Each of my boys smelled so wonderful. Each completely different, but no less appealing.

Emmett always smelled like that one male aftershave that makes your knees go weak.

You know the one, it's different for every girl, but there's always a _specific _cologne that

can just send your hormones into a total fritz. That was my bear. He was my favourite

cologne smell. Edward, he always smelled like spearmint and apples and cinnamon. A bit

like Christmas, I'd always thought. And Jasper, my God, it was wonderful. Rain and fresh

laundry. It was a wonder I managed to function _at all _when all three of them were in

close contact. It was a heady mix.

I inhaled greedily, soaking up my bear. I ran my fingernails teasingly up his side until I

came to his left peck, where I laid my palm flat, directly over his incredibly beautiful

heart. I felt his nose bury deeper into my hair, no doubt sucking up all the strawberry.

Ugh.

"Hey baby," he whispered softly, not a trace of sleep in his voice. How long had he been

awake? I'd _told _him countless times to just throw me off when he woke up. Another fine

example of how much time I take up…

Gah!

"Hi," I mumbled, my voice definitely still loaded with sleep. I felt well rested, but if it

was a choice between getting up or staying here - with Em, what's a girl gonna do?

Especially when he's only wearing a pair of those tight, cotton, Armani boxer shorts that

make me drool a little bit. I feel no shame. He's a walking God on earth.

Mine, mine, mine!

The…contents of said drool-worthy boxers were currently straining against the material.

You can insert your own Homer-esque, gargled noise; I'm too busy mentally making my

own.

Emmett…was the biggest of my boys. They were all packing, make no mistake about it.

Edward had the length, Jasper the girth - Emmett had both. And I could feel every

strained ridge right now. I licked me lips. Best fucking wake up.

The other two always moaned about Emmett - he never wore pyjamas. He'd conceded to

wear his boxers when we were all in together though. They thought they gained 'poof

points' for sleeping in a bed with an underwear clad 'dude.' Boys are stupid.

I remember buying loads of pyjama sets a few months back, but like my bath products,

they went missing. Not all of them mind, anything that barely covered my ass and had a

matching tank top remained. Any sets with long/short sleeves or full length flannel pants

disappeared. Perverts. I'd argued this, naturally. Asking what the hell they expected me to

22

do when I went downstairs for breakfast. Surely they didn't expect me to wander the

house barely covered up? This infused rage from all three of them. Apparently, I was not

to leave my room unless _fully _dressed. The argument progressed into a full-blown inquiry

as to how many times I _had _left my room, not _fully _dressed. They refused to listen to

anymore after I'd told them I'd made breakfast for Felix one morning – I was in a full

length dressing gown. Felix had a bust lip the next day. I went on strike for steak night,

cooked only for myself…and Felix. He got Emmett's – the largest. Emmett put Felix on

night watch duty at a deserted warehouse - miles away - for three weeks after that. Poor

Felix.

Emmett was very much a skin on skin type. He didn't like the barrier of clo thing. I'd wear

a tank top to bed; I'd wake up with it around my chin. Used to drive Edward insane. He'd

gripe about me getting cold in the night. We both told him to shut up. Emmett was like a

furnace, I never got cold with him in the bed. Edward ignored us, naturally. Silly ass went

out and bought me a damn sleeping bag to 'highlight' his point. Emmett took a knife to it

and left it on Edward's bed, the words 'get to fuck' slashed into it – most definitely

highlighting _his _point. I've since nailed said sleeping bag onto a wall in the games room.

Always make me laugh.

"I missed you," Emmett murmured sweetly, rousing me from my memories.

He hadn't slept.

I smiled into his chest. Part of me wanted to tell him off for literally laying awake all

night, stroking my arms as he mentally kicked his own ass for not staying with me

yesterday, thus being too scared to sleep in case I had another attack and he missed it

through sleep-fog. Not that he would. None of them ever did. I could snore a little too

loudly and ha ve them all charge into my room - waking me up in the process – to check

on me. Yes, part of me wanted to scold him for not looking after himself, he needed to

sleep. But the selfish part of me loved to hear him say that. Loved to hear he cared so

much, that he would go to those lengths for me. I'll say it again. They deserve so much

better. Am I an awful person for that? Probably. I know I'm spoiled. I have three Adonislike

men falling all over me. Still haven't figured out why. Don't get me wrong, the

feelings are more than triply reciprocated, but there's one of me, and three of them. The

odds are somewhat unfairly balanced. They give so much more than they get. I could

clone myself, but it still wouldn't ease the sense of guilt I have over holding them. No

good, rotten egg, the sour in the milk…

"Em, did you get _any _sleep?"

I waited.

And waited.

He began to pull at my tank top, "please baby?"

23

Guess the sleep thing's not up for discussion.

I stretched my arms above my head and let him pull the material over me, listening with

amusement as he muttered 'fucking thing', before tossing it to the ground. Emmett I'm

sure, would quite happily burn every shred of clothing I own, if he could guarantee none

of the other boys would see me – hard to do when so many of them often stop over in the

'staff' building behind the house some nights. Plus, James lives with us pretty much

permanently too. Not to mention all of the 'hired help' milling about the place as well.

And Edward would have a shit fit about me getting cold all the time. So my closet was

still in tact, full and busting and ridiculous, just as it always had been.

That closet could rival all four women's from _Sex and the City _combined with the sheer

volume of crap in it. A moan for another time…

Em made quick work of pulling off my boy shorts. It had taken me quite a while to get

over my 'being naked in front of anyone or anything' aversion. My body was a mess. My

figure itself was alright I suppose, I was very skinny though, and I had no boobs. I asked

for a boob job once, as a joke. Learned it wasn't funny to joke about asking for one _pretty_

_quickly_. I'd like to say I had flawless skin and to an extent, that was true - if you ignored

the scars. Sometimes they still made me self-conscious. Sometimes tearful, especially

when I was alone and in the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror after a

shower…tracing my finger tips over them all. Occasionally they would get to me and one

or all of the boys would find me in a heap on the bathroom floor. The worst one is

absolutely vile and I'm glad it's not within direct viewing range. It travels from the top of

my butt and all the way up my spine, stopping juts below my neck. I've spoken to them

about getting a tattoo that could cover it somewhat; I'm still working my powers of

persuasion on them. I think we just entered month five.

Emmett was happy. I was awake and ok and...naked. Just how he liked me best!

My fingers reached the band of his boxers, and he lifted ever so slightly for me, so that I

could begin removing the m. I sat up and travelled down with them, hooking his feet from

out of them. Emmett was glorious. Really. He was an absolute work of art. They all were.

All for different reasons. Emmett because he was just so…toned and muscular. Every ab,

every definition – all perfect.

I slid my way back up, scooting by backside into place, straddling him. I leaned down

and he caught my face in his massive paws, bringing my mouth to his.

"Hi," I hummed against his full, soft lips.

He smiled against mine, "hi."

He sat up, taking me with him, his large hands still cupping my – entire – face. The

sheets fell away and we just…felt.

24

I try not to…remember the first time we all met. But the one thing that has always stuck

with me was my first take on each of my boys. Emmett scared the shit out of me. He was

just so…big. Hello Goliath big! One of the first things I thought about him was 'oh God,

he could crush my skull with his bare hands. Please don't.' I noted how angry and

disgusted he looked. Thinking that was directed at me, at how I was, how they found me.

I thought he was repulsed…by me, and I was paralysed with fear, thinking he'd end up

being the one to…dispose of me.

I couldn't have been more wrong with my perception. He was possibly the sweetest, most

gentle guy in the world. He treated me like I was delicate and breakable, which, I suppose

when you take it the monstrosity that is Emmett's sheer size, you can kinda see the logic

behind…

Truth was, Emmett and the others had never been revolted by _me_. They were revolted at

the…situation. It took them a while to drum that into my head.

The kiss had deepened and I felt like I was floating. It was dizzyingly satisfying, more so

when I felt the muscles in his shoulders and arms flexing beneath my fingers.

Fuck me, insert some more Homer noises.

"Em?"

"What precious?" His words reverberated against my lips, sending all sorts of feelings to

naughty places.

"I've got morning breath," I giggled.

He didn't stop, not for a nanosecond.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?" I breathed, snatching at his lips and gently sucking his bottom one between my

teeth.

"Shut up."

I grinned. Far be it from me to defy a direct order…

Things were heating up; soon, we were both panting and wanting and two big balls of

pure need. Em had rolled us over so that he was on top of me, rolled us back so that I was

on top of him, then him on me, me on him. He couldn't keep his hands or lips off me, his

legs a total muddle between my own. My body had been coated in a slight sheen, though

Emmett appeared unfazed. Health freak.

25

"Bella baby, I need you," he moaned against my shoulder. I nodded in response, at this

point coherency had escaped me, positioned myself over him and sunk…deep…down.

Fuck!

How it fit – I'll never know. I was tiny. And he was just so… There goes the coherency

again.

"Sweet-mother-of-Marymotherfucking-Jesus!" Emmett gasped, gripping onto my hips,

keeping me in place as we both felt the stretch that allowed me to take him.

It took some…practice with the boys. Before they rescued me, _he _liked to…play. _He _had

a penknife and, well… My first time after that had been with Edward, and Christ, I think

it had been more painful than when _he_…did those things to me. The doctor said it would

take some time, that I might always feel some twinges. It was rare for me to feel pain

now, maybe on occasion, one of the boys would hit a certain scarred spot and we'd need

to stop, not only from the pain but from the attacks that soon followed. It was something

that we just had to learn to deal with. It took Edward quite a bit of time to be with me, in

that sense, again.

See, I told you – poison.

Emmett and I took our time being together. We went for three rounds, in between each he

told me how much he loved me, how he wouldn't be able to breath if anything ever

happened to me. Made me promise to never leave them. For all that they were, they sure

could be insecure at times. I think that probably stemmed from the whole three and one

thing. I honestly don't know how we make it work, we just…do. And somehow, there's

never really been any major jealously. I guess it's just a bit strange and a bit different, but

it's ours.

I hopped in the shower afterwards, Emmett stayed with me briefly – I wanted to shave –

but soon left to leave me be for a while. When I came out I towel dried and brushed my

teeth. Walking back to my bedroom, it was clear that Maggie had been in. My bed was

made with fresh linen, my curtains drawn and my pyjamas picked up off the floor. It was

also clear that Jasper had been in. On my bed, a beautiful turquoise, white and red maxi

dress – three quarter length sleeves. No extra layer needed. It's pretty much all I wear -

long, flowing dresses. Jeans and other…tight fitting items chafe and rub against my scars,

irritating them. What the dresses can't hide on my arms, a shrug or cardigan can. They're

loose and pretty much cover all of me, right down to my feet. They boys never minded.

They grabbed the opportunity to 'dress me up like a princess every day' with both hands

and went completely over the top, still do. I'll never, not in a lifetime, get through them

all. Jasper had even set out some – new – white ballet flats for me to put on. They looked

identical to the – new – pair I wore not two days ago, the only difference being these had

tags on them, just like the other one's – from _two _days ago – had.

Jesus.

26

I couldn't wear bras because of the scar on my back, not that I really needed one

anyways, but the boys always had a seamstress sew padded cups into the bust area of my

clothes regardless…whilst she was taking the hem up. Too good for me, too good to

me…

I slipped on some panties when I went to hang my towels up in the bathroom; the dresser

in there really had been a fucking good idea. I dressed and brushed my hair, that damn

strawberry smell attacking my senses.

I checked the time, 10:03. As if on cue, my stomach woke up and made its hunger well

known.

Smiling, I left my room and made my way downstairs, I swear, I could smell Maggie's

homemade chocolate chip waffles. If they weren't a reason to smack your lips, then I

don't know what was.

When I descended the winding staircase and touched down in the entrance parlour, I felt

my heart stop and my good mood vanish.

What the hell?

Four sets of uneasy eyes were on me. Mine only met one particular pair though. Or

should I say, I think I was looking at his eyes…

The swelling, my God!

I hurried over and cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to 'look' down at me. I

couldn't help but gasp. "What happened?"

He was one big, purple, swollen mess.

Who the hell did that to him? He was fine last night. Did he go out after we went to bed?

No, he couldn't have. He was usually always in the house…with us. Did one of the other

boys in the house at the back rough him up?

No, that didn't make any sense. They were a family, all of them. They liked and respected

each other too much. The worked as a team. No way would anyone have attacked James!

Especially seeings how it was _James_. Fucker was scary and meant business. No way

would he ever come out worse off, not unless he was fighting a boss, like one of my bo-

You could hear a pin _drop_.

I don't think any of us were breathing.

"James," I whispered, "why don't you go and do…something."

27

My head was swimming. Surely to God, they didn't?

Not James? One of their own men?

Then something began to pull at my mind…

"_Edward, she's gonna fit when she sees what you did to him tomorrow. She's fond of_

_James."_

No! He wouldn't! Please tell me he didn't…

James walked away, his head hung low. I think I heard the kitchen doors swing open.

"_Bruises on her back."_

Bruises? The _small _marks on my back? I'd assumed I did them to myself, last night,

during an episode.

I rounded on them, ever so slightly pleased when I saw the three _mobsters _take an

automatic step back towards the stairs.

"What. Did. You. Do?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous, and completely directed at

Edward.

He swallowed before lifting his head arrogantly, "what was necessary," he answered.

I felt my jaw drop and my eyes widen, "necessary?"

Had he _seen _James?

"Yes!" He snapped, adding extra emphasis to the 's.'

"Why would you do that, Edward?" I questioned, completely horrified.

What was he, a fucking animal? For the love of Christ!

"He marked you," he stated simply.

Oh, okay then. All settled - nothing to worry about.

Was he being fucking serious? "Edward, James was trying to _help _me in a shitty

situation." I tried to reason.

He wasn't having it, "and he marked you, stupid fuck!" He muttered the last part.

_Stay calm Bella_, _stay calm_!

28

"I think we all know I've had _worse_." I glared, watching all of them – including Edward –

wilt, one by one. It was like a domino effect. Down, down, down…

"Bella, please baby we jus-"

Oh hell no! He was in on it too? And Jasper, no doubt?

I _exploded_. "Don't you baby me Emmett McCarty! Don't you dare! James had the

decency to stay with me, look after me when nobody else was around. Don't you think he

deserves a little fucking credit? He kept me from really hurting myself, and what do you,

you freakin' ape," I rounded on Edward, "go and do to him? You pummel his ass!

Fucking _A_, Cullen - gold star for you!"

Edward was shaking slightly, "there are bruises all over you back," he enunciated every

damn word. "He should not have been handling you like a piece of fucking meat!" His

fists were balled. I feared for the games room, I really did.

Mental note to self: hide all pool cues before starting an argument.

I scoffed at the 'bruises all over you back' part. Hardly.

"If he hadn't used a little force I would have hurt myself Edward! I don't see you beating

down Emmett or Jasper for restraining me!"

Snort, beat down Emmett. I'd like to see a ten ton _truck _that could try…and succeed. My

bear was built.

"EMMETT AND JASPER DIDN'T MARK YOU!" He bellowed.

"JAMES IS ONLY ONE PERSON!" I screeched, flailing my arms in a reversed Michael

Flatley from _Lord of the Dance _moment. So much for not completely loosing it! "He only

has two hands, Edward. Exactly how much did you expect him to be able to do in that

situation? What, was he supposed to zap his magic webs from his wrists and keep me

suspended in the corne r till you got home?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, fuck; I think I saw smoke… "Bella, be reasonable.

None of us left so much as a blemish, yet he leaves you black and blue on your back."

Black and fucking blue – exaggeration of the _year_!

I felt the blood vessels in my eyes actually _pop _as they bugged. "Reasonable?" I spat.

"Edward, it took three of you to hold me down, and you had Emmett on your team!"

Emmett smirked. "And you can loose the damn grin steroids," I glared.

His face fell. Emmett was…the most sensitive to my temper, and always had been. He

had the irritating ability to make me feel bad for being angry at him though. Not this

29

time. I refused. I was close to James, he was a good friend and he looked after me. He got

stuck with me so often and it really wasn't fair on the guy. And this is how they repay

him?

No, it was wrong. _They were _wrong this time.

"That being said," Edward began, his eyes slicing into me, "the marks on your back are

pretty nasty, Bella. I've got your cream if you're experiencing any discomfort. I'm just

glad I wasn't there to see it happen, because James would not be breathing right now," he

added as if it was an afterthought.

If those marks were nasty, then I was the fucking Pope. And I hated that fucking cream. I

spent weeks coated in the damn stuff after they found me.

If I was a lesser woman, I would have cowered right in front of him from his tone.

Listened to the threat in his voice and feared for James. Watched my step and be on high

alert at all times, conscious tha t James was now on his shit list – not a safe place to be.

But I wasn't. I was me. And my brain apparently had a major fucking wiring issue.

I stormed over to him, snatched the cream from his hand and turned my back on him, on

all of them. I'd give him a few seconds to think he'd won. Allow him a brief taste of

victory - before snatching it out from under his arrogant ass. He needed taking down a

peg or two, so did the other oafs, backing him up. Idiots!

I counted to seven before I started shimmying my dress down towards my waist. I almost

wished I was wearing a top; I could have thrown it in his _face _for an extra bonus point. I

took my arms out of the sleeves and rearranged the front to cover my breasts, oddly, the

dress stayed in place without needing to be held up. My back was completely naked. I

made for the kitchen, shouting James' name loudly as I untwisted the cap from the cream

pot, holding it up to the side and exaggerating the movements…just for

their…entertainment.

"You wouldn't _dare_," Edward challenged.

Little punk. Fucking watch me!

I found James sat - at least, it looked like James, hard to tell with all the swelling –

reading a newspaper and eyeing the door as I strolled in…my dress not looking quite

right, I'm sure. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as I sauntered over to him, adding

an extra sway to my hips.

"Bella," Edward warned.

"Bella darlin', why don't we talk about this elsewhere, where you're, y'know, fully

clothed?" Jasper pleaded, glancing around.

30

Oh, he does speak!

He looked like he wanted to do one of those fire rescue operation things, y'know the kind,

where the fire blanket gets thrown over you and you're rushed from the building,

completely hidden.

Emmett looked like he would have laughed at the situation, had it not been his baby girl

in the state of mild undress. I may as well have been completely naked judging by their

reactions. Bear was not amused.

James was not the only one in the kitchen. Alec and Felix were in there too. Excellent.

Give them a piece of my mind - with an audience!

Morons!

I smiled sweetly at James, who I'm sure, had he not looked like the damn Hunchback of

Notre Dame, would have been using his eyes to plead with me not to do this. I turned to

face the three stooges when James was within a fingertips distance of my back. I glared at

them, "James, I need a little help…" I trailed off, holding the cream out.

Edward looked a whole new level of angry. Definitely one I hadn't seen before. I don't

think hiding the pool cues would help the games room at all right now; he looked like he

could tear solid concrete into dust using his bare hands.

"James, if you even _consider _Isabella's proposal, you will be pissing in a bag for the rest

of your life."

I heard Alec mutter an 'oh fuck' behind me. I pushed it aside. Determined to drive on,

drive home my point.

"Don't you listen to him James, he won't lay another _finger _on you," I cocked my head to

the side, daring Edward to take the bait.

He didn't disappoint.

"Oh, I guarantee, it won't be a _finger_. It'll be a fucking cha insaw!" He seethed, spitting his

words.

My resolve wanted to crumble. He was…really mad. The worst I'd ever seen him. The

other two weren't looking so hot either. And I was genuinely worried about James. I

really shouldn't be putting him in this position. But Christ, they had to learn not to do this

kinda stuff. Stubbornness overcame sanity and I kept my poker face schooled. This one –

I was determined to win.

I turned back to James and winked, "just you ignore him James; he's on one of his special

man-period days."

31

I heard Felix choke and try to cover up his laughter, followed by the sounds of Alec

thumping his back.

"Bella, we get it, please baby…just stop," Emmett implored me with his eyes.

But I was claiming immunity to his charms today. Not-fucking-happening McCarty! The

swine! Getting all down with the hanky panky this morning, knowing full well what

Edward had done, I don't doubt.

"How's it looking James, don't be scared to have a poke around, I'll be sure to be…vocal

and let you know where the…tender spots are." I levelled my gaze to Edward, fighting a

smirk as I heard James gulp.

Edward was gripping his hair and began pacing every three steps, Jasper looked like he

was in genuine pain and Emmett, oh my bear wasn't happy, but I could see it in his face –

trying to work out where I was going with this, trying to suss out my conditions, what I

was going to say or do next.

I had no doubt all three of them would rip James' arms off if he did touch me this way,

that was a given. But I knew James, and I knew he wouldn't, not for something

this…intimate, and definitely not in front of them. He'd happily let me curl up on his lap

and kiss the top of my head, stroke my hair and let me fall asleep on him. But that was all

innocent, and my boys knew and accepted that. He was like my safety blanket when the

others had to leave. We all knew the deal. Truth be told, whilst I'm sure the idea of me

curled up with James didn't exactly make them happy, they were usually just pleased I

was being comforted properly when they weren't around.

"James, my eyes are up here!" Edward suddenly snapped, the tension rippling off his

body and his eyes boring holes into James.

Oooft, my hothead was wound up. It was kinda sexy, in a totally dysfunctional way.

Stood there, all heaving chest and radiating dominance in his expensive grey suit. I loved

him in that suit. Or more specifically, I loved peeling him _out _of that suit. The bastard. I

bet he wore that on purpose today, knowing full well how I'd react when I saw what he'd

done to poor James.

"No James, by all means, you look all you want!" I continued to goad.

Jasper attempted to put a hand on Edward's shoulder in a placating manner. He threw it

off. "Bella, I swear to God, I'm fucking warning you…"

And that was it. Playtime over.

I smashed the cream pot down onto the kitchen counter so hard it shattered. I ignored the

bite of the glass as is split my skin. I'd worry about stitches later. "No, I'm warning you,"

I replied in a withering voice, narrowing my eyes at the three of them. "I keep out when it

32

comes to 'work issues'," I aircommared, only using my good hand, "and I never ask or get

involved. You do what you gotta do. But you leave the brutishness at the front gates. I

_will not _live in a house full of thugs," I moved aside and pointed to James' face,

confirmation of what was definitely _not _acceptable. "Am I making myself clear?"

Emmett had paled, but wasn't looking at me. He was looking at my hand. As was Jasper,

who began walking towards me, as if in a trance, my injury calling out to him. Always

needing to fix me, save me…

"Whitlock, you take another _step _and I swear to God, I'll slam it onto the counter and

imbed the glass," I threatened darkly. He stopped immediately, looking very much like

he'd have a coronary if I lost another droplet of blood.

Edward was a multitude of emotion. This was one of those 'off the table' things, and I was

calling his ass out on it. He didn't like it. Unfamiliar territory. My hothead and his 'just so'

ways, his mind would be working at breakneck speed, thinking of how to right the

situation, probably in his favour. Not happening.

James cleared his throat, "Bella, really hunny, its fine. Please, let's just all ca-"

"SHUT UP JAMES!" All four of us yelled in perfect sync. I'd apologise to him later for

shouting at him. Right now, I couldn't feel bad about it.

Edward didn't want to back down.

Fuck.

I knew all too well how it felt to beg them not to hurt people, to just let things go. I also

knew what it was like to be ignored on those specific subjects. He thought he was in the

right, still did. James 'marked' my back up. James had to be punished. Black and white –

no room for grey. It didn't matter that had James not done what he did, I would have

really hurt myself. Irrelevant. It wasn't even a consideration. So messed up.

I had three options, as far as I could see, and simply dropping it wasn't one of them. I

could beg, scream, fight, argue, defend my point, try to reason with them, and it would all

fall on deaf ears. I could…mention to what extent I wouldn't put up with this shit, and let

their minds wander to 'she'll leave us' type scenarios. But that was cruel. And I honestly

don't think I could ever leave my boys. The mere thought of it hurt my heart. The third

and final option, I could hurt myself. A little gentle persuasion.

Well, hand's busted up anyways…

"New house rule," I began, "NO beating each other up." It was a relevant fucking rule!

And I lived here too, surely I got some say? Edward got his 'everything must be

alphabetised' rule, yes – I'm serious. Jasper had his 're-puff the sofa cushions when you

33

leave the living area' rule, freak. And Emmett had an endless supply of Cheetos on tap, at

all times. I didn't think mine was too much of a Goddamn stretch!

Edward snorted. I think I heard him mutter 'in your fucking dreams.'

Humph.

I slammed my hand down on top of the broken cream pot, the glass slicing further into

my already mangled skin, the glass already in it digging in deeper.

Fuck that smarts!

The chorus rang out, Alec and Felix included. "BELLA!"

"Ah, ah, ah," I warned, raising my hand to slam down again when they all darted

forwards.

Edward looked like he was about to combust. "NO beating each other up!" I repeated,

staring daggers at him.

Emmett and Jasper caved immediately, shouting wonderful things like 'fine', and

'absolutely', and 'whatever you say, Bella.'

Smart boys.

"James, if you let her hand do that again, I swear to God I'll-"

I slammed it down again.

Christ, I was seriously starting to feel woozy.

"NO threatening people either!" I hissed.

Jaz was looking as ill as I felt and Emmett was glaring at Edward.

"Edward, I fucking swear if she does that again, I'll fucking rope you up by the bollocks,"

Emmett seethed. Jasper was dancing on his toes, desperate to get to me. I didn't

particularly like having to resort to this, it fucking hurt - them just as much as me, but I'd

keep going. I was not backing down on this one.

"Come on emeralds, make my _dreams _come true," I goaded Edward.

If looks could kill. Fuck, he still wasn't going to budge.

So long hand, nice knowing you…

34

I raised it again.

It was an _inch _away from the counter when he - finally - caved.

"Ok, ok!" He yelled panicked, hands held up, out towards me in surrender. "Fuck, Bella!

Just please…no more." He was breathing heavily, his delicious Adams apple bobbing up

and down furiously as he swallowed. I wanted to lick it.

_Not now Swan_! _Focus_, _negotiations_!

"Stay where you are," I commanded to my bear and Jasper, pointing with my good hand

when they shot forwards. I needed this confirmed. "NO pummelling and NO threats?"

"None," they both said, before I looked at Edward. He nodded stiffly.

"I didn't hear that, Edward." I glowered fiercely.

He looked a little defeated, tight jawed, but defeated. "Fine, none."

"Right, well…now that _that's _been sorted out, I kinda feel like I want to faint a little," I

slumped against James.

"Baby," Emmett was right in front of me, scooping me up. "Why did you do that?" He

asked in a cracked whisper, smothering my face in kisses. Jasper was busy inspecting my

hand.

"I'll get the kit," James rushed off.

"Don't you two have work to do?" Jasper snapped at Alec and Felix, not taking his eyes

from my hand. They sped out the back door with heir tails between their legs, not

wanting to risk worsening the situation and then having to deal with their wrath. No

doubt they'd avoid my boys for as long as they possibly could. I hate to think who'd deal

with their anger over me hurting myself. I knew it certainly wouldn't be me.

My eyes met Edward's across the room. He was pissed. The crazy thing about it all was,

he wouldn't blame himself for his actions, and he wouldn't blame me for mine. No, my

bet was that he was blaming James…for not staying out of sight. Ass.

He scowled and stormed out of the kitchen. I heard the front door slam, and a few

moments later, the screeching of tires as he sped out of the driveway. At least the games

room was still in tact though…

I had to have stitches. Lots of them. Stung like a bitch!

It seemed to take forever to get all of the glass out and properly bathe my hand. Emmett

held me on his lap as Jasper set to work. I took the opportunity to 'mention' wanting a

35

puppy again. They were distracted and worried about me. And me and my manipulation

seized the moment. Heck, if I'd gotten them to promise no more in- house fighting, why

not go the whole hog and get my dog? I'd been begging them for months to let me have

one. They'd always said no. Too much mess for Jasper and apparently, they didn't want to

have to share me anymore than they already did.

But I pushed. What can I say; I thought a puppy for mangling my own hand - for the

_greater good_, I might add, was fair.

Emmett told me I could have the 'entire fucking pound, Bella.' I thought that was a bit

much, I just wanted one.

I was on a high after all the drama. I wanted to go pick out my pup tomorrow.

Of course, said high didn't last.

Edward never came home.

I'd waited up for him all night on the sofa. I was exhausted.

By five in the morning, I'd sunk into another attack.

It had been a bit of a…mixed day overall.

**Hope you liked it, let me know what you think. I'll be away this weekend, so I can**

**post up a teaser for chapter 3 if you want? Let me know...?**

Chapter 3

**S. Meyer owns all twilight -y things. No pinching of the plot though please, I've**

**worked really hard on it.**

**A/N: I had an epiphany! I'm really very clever and obviously thought all of this**

**through… *clears throat a little***

**The boys shy Bella away from their work as much as possible, so where's the mob**

**parts coming in I hear you ask…? Guess we'll be getting some 'boy chapters' after**

**all. First up – Jasper :)**

**This **_**was **_**just going to be a small titbit from JPOV before going back to Bella, but it**

**kinda turned into an entire chapter… Ooopsies. I'll stick up a chapter 4 teaser as**

**well as I'm away over the weekend, I'm nice that way. Hope you enjoy!**

36

_Chapter Three_

_Jasper_

Three hours. Three whole Goddamn hours! That's how long it had taken for Bella to

finally wear herself out. It began a little past five this morning. Edward hadn't come

home. She lost it.

Bella's attacks vary depending on the trigger. We were still trying to find out what

originally set her off on Tuesday. James said when he got back and called out - she didn't

respond. First bad sign. He found her in the library cuddled up in a ball in one of the

corners. Judging by the attacks _initial _progression whilst she was with James, the trigger

was likely a nightmare. The evidence backed up the theory. Bella's blanket was in a heap

on the library floor, and the side table next to the chair she loved to sit in was upended.

The trajectory of her water glass and book – also on the floor – suggested she'd woken

up, panicked, flipped out and crashed into the table, tossing it and its contents to the

ground.

Emmett wasn't convinced. The nightmare triggers are usually the easiest to deal with.

You just need to comfort her and let her calm down. She ended up having a full blown

panic attack and couldn't breathe, despite James' reassurances. I'd argued that it was

probably because James was there and not one of us to settle her that had caused the flip

into breathing difficulties. Emmett still wasn't convinced. It didn't fit the usual pattern.

Of course, it could have just meant the nightmare had been particularly graphic and she'd

needed one of us to be there for her, which we weren't. In which case, she found she

simply couldn't calm and things escalated.

We were still no nearer a conclusion. We doubted Bella would remember much from

before or during the attack. We daren't ask even ask.

We'd reached a bit of an impasse on that one.

The…worst trigger is having someone tease her, rouse the memories that she tries to

desperately squash. That's when things get really nasty and she hurts herself. Jane

goading Bella last night, for instance...

The woman takes great pleasure in torturing Bella. Sick bitch. I wish I could sympathise

and say she's just misunderstood, but I can't. She's one mass of cells that went horribly

wrong, if you ask me. The step-daughter to Aro - our boss.

Aro used to dote on her, spoil her; he'd have done anything for her. His wife, Sully, had

been what I'd refer to as a beautiful soul. We all missed her. Aro had never been the same

since her murder. None of us had really. The betrayal still stung. The Russians were

responsible. As was their dear Jane. From what we know, Sully had initially

had…relations with one of their men, Stefan. Probably doesn't take a genius to work out

37

where Jane came from, though it's never actually been confirmed. Aro and Sully's coming

together was the prefect Mafia fairytale. I guess you could say Aro saved her - and Jane,

from them. I guess you could also say that Jane had daddy issues. Stupid woman didn't

know where her damn loyalties lay. She ran right off, opening her fucking trap. Sold us

all out…for them. Got her own mother killed as a result.

Stefan Denali wasn't one to forgive and forget. Sully had insulted them all by 'switching

sides.' He washed his hands of Jane long before Sully's blood even ran cold. She'd given

him everything they needed to push forwards in their plot for revenge. Jane had to beg

Aro to let her stay after the…incident. He did. It's what Sully would have wanted. Doesn't

mean Aro's forgiven…or forgotten what she cost him though. He barely acknowledges

her now. He set her up in an apartment and has her do some menial work for the family.

She's watched closely at all times. She has a shit life, I don't doubt. Aro has her on a tight

leash. Ongoing punishment for her actions.

What Aro lost in Sully and Jane, he's poured into Bella. He'd walk over broken glass for

her. Most in the family would. She's bewitched everyone else just as much as Edward,

Emmett and I. Jane despises her for it. Takes every opportunity she can get her grubby

little hands on to fuck with our girl. She's been replaced by Bella in Aro's heart. What she

refuses to recognise is – she never deserved her place there to begin with.

We hadn't seen Aro so much as twitch his lips in amusement for…fuck, it was…two

years following Sully's passing.

Enter Bella.

She's been with us for around fifteen months now. Aro's booming laugh could challenge

Emmett's whenever she's about. He has her up on a pedestal just like the rest of us.

Cherishes her as if she was his own daughter, and fiercely so. We all know Bella would

die before hurting this family. There's never been a single doubt that she'd betray us to a

rival or enemy. Call it cheesy, but our baby girl revived this family and made it shine in

ways we never thought it could. We see a lot of Sully in Bella. Another beautiful soul

that needed rescuing. Ironically, we rescued her from the Russians during a bust. Only

this time, history _will not _repeat itself.

Edward nearly throttled Jane himself for the comment she made. Most of us simply

ignore her; she's nothing but vapour to us anymore. But Edward - Edward can't stand her.

Her mere presence gets his hackles up. If Aro gave him the word, he'd happily put a

bullet in her head and not feel bad for killing a woman. Edward doesn't see Jane as a

woman. To Edward, Jane's nothing but toxic waste. Can't really argue that…

Bella has a lot of…problems. We don't know the full extent of what went on. We don't

even know why the Russians had her. Background checks indicate her dad was some

small-time cop in the backwater town she grew up in. It appears her mother never took

much to do with her. The last we checked, the woman was still in Phoenix. She'd checked

herself into – another – rehab clinic there. Bella clams up whenever you ask about her

38

mom. Her dad had passed away, from what we can gather, roughly three months prior to

us finding her. She was a long-ass way from home though. Enrolment records showed

she attended college in the city; she'd just finished her freshman year when she got taken.

We tried to get answers from her, she claimed she didn't know, didn't remember anything

leading up to…it. Didn't know, or didn't want to discuss – hard to tell. But based on the

facts, there's no real pattern. No real concrete reason why the Russians would have taken

an interest in her. There was no logical explanation as to why she had a target on her

back. Sweet, innocent, shy freshman college student who kept to herself. New to the city.

No family. Maybe a handful of friends – none with contacts. Best we could come up

with, she was merely a play thing. A form of sick entertainment.

It took time getting Bella to function properly again afterwards. She was…fuck, she was

messed up. She still is. She probably always will be. There's no way you can just forget

that kinda stuff. It's always gonna haunt her, hurt her. She has zero confidence. Selfesteem

is constantly at rock bottom. She has no sense of worth, she thinks she's

undeserving of…everything. She's nervous and jittery around new people. NOBODY

touches her unless she knows them well; even then, it can be touch and go. Maggie once

brushed up against Bella in the kitchen. She had a complete meltdown - Bella _loves_

Maggie. She doesn't really leave the grounds of the house unless it's to go visit family,

like Aro. On the rare occasions she does head out, she always takes someone trustworthy

with her who _can _touch her, plus four guards minimum to ensure people keep their damn

distance. Though, that's our rule just as much as it is hers. Let her out alone – yeahfucking-

right. She despises shopping so never goes - works out great for us though. We

buy her everything we want to. She has the hairdresser come to the house. Her dentist and

doctor are paid well to do three monthly checks on her – at home. They're the trickiest

ones. Lots of touching, usually involves eventua l sedation. She loves the ballet so when

we take her, we buy out the entire upper floor's seats so she doesn't have to worry about

being crowded by others.

We used to pay a private yoga instructor to come to the house twice a week, it helped her

relax. That was, until she realised Rose was interested in Emmett and couldn't keep her

eyes off him. That set off a month long Bella self- hate episode. She thought she was

holding Em back from being with somebody 'normal', from having a chance at a

_wonderful _relationship with this Rose woman. Emmett had never spared her a single

glance. If he went in to watch them during a session, it was definitely _not _Rose he was

eye- fucking whilst in the _Warrior _pose. Rose thought differently. Thought Em was

checking her out. Asked Bella to put in a good word for her and set them up. Bella's lips

turned blue from lack of oxygen when she thought Emmett might actually want to be

with another woman and leave her. On one hand, she wanted Emmett to be able to have a

chance with Rose, see if they could make it work, didn't want to hold him back from

being with somebody 'sane.' On the other hand, she nearly gave herself brain damage

when she _stopped breathing _at the mere thought of him being with anybody else. She

called herself selfish for that. Emmett was more than happy to be the one to tell Rose that

her services were no longer required.

39

I took private massage classes after that so she had some form of relaxation to hand. It

was gay on a whole new level and I still get teased for doing it, but it helps Bella, so it's

worth all the jibes from the guys about giving them some 'tantric time.' Assholes.

Me, Edward and Emmett also managed to persuade her to take up some self-defence

lessons. We teach her. Lets face it, she's not gonna get better instructors. We've got a gym

room that could contend with the best in the city, a sectioned off padded area solely used

for martial arts practice, boxing and such. We're all really proud of how well she took to

it. There have even been a few occasions where she's sensed her anxiety beginning to

heighten and marched straight for the punch bag. Baby's got some swing to her too, I can

tell you.

One thing Bella worried about was her studies. She didn't want her brain turning to

mulch. We got her enrolled on a few independent study courses. She's been doing really

well and all of the materials either get sent to her or she can buy the extras online. She

made sure she picked courses that didn't have exams, she wouldn't have handled being in

a room full of strangers, and they were highly unlikely to let us sit in with her during. The

courses she did had final projects instead. Baby girl's a smart cookie, I can tell you. Aced

the lot of them, second year of her degree down. Two more to go.

Everything has to be considered when it comes to Bella. A few of the guys lower down

the scale have asked how we manage to deal with it, how we have the patience to keep on

handling it. They didn't mean it offensively; they're all as taken with Bella as we are.

They'd all take a bullet for her. But some of them have witnessed her episodes first hand

and know the drill. They're fully aware of them being a regular occurrence. But the thing

is, it's not about 'handling' Bella, she is who she is. This is just part of the package. Take

it or leave it. Us three, we grabbed on with both hands and feet. She's perfect just the way

she is.

Would we prefer she didn't have attacks? Sure. But not for us. It wasn't a selfish desire.

We wanted it for Bella, for her to be able to live worry free within her own skin, to not be

plagued by her demons.

This mornings attack was long. The trigger? Worrying about Edward.

Emmett was ready to flail the fuck.

He knew the drill. He knew what happened when she worried about us and panicked. Her

anxiety soared and she hit rock-bottom. She'd been curled up in my lap throughout it all,

mumbling incoherently about being 'no good', and 'driving him away', and everything

being 'her fault.'

I was gonna _annihilate _his ass.

These episodes were a little different. The trigger was stress and worry. Usually about us.

Sleep deprivation never helped matters – at all. Bella needed a lot of sleep. She couldn't

40

function without it. Even missing out on a couple of hours can have her spiral out of

control. Ten hours a night usually works out ok, eleven's much better. Us? We can go

forever without it and not be affected. But we were trained to. Comes in mighty fucking

handy when you're up all night reassuring baby girl, all because fuckward threw his toys

out the pram.

These attacks were much more a case of her going into herself and not coming out until

she was either too exhausted to continue and fell asleep, or the source of the worry

walked through the door and put things right with her. Which he hadn't. Because the

moronic prick still wasn't home. She'd effectively be in some bizarre state where she

mentally kicked her own ass over and over and over again, for whatever bollocksed-up

reason she'd invented. It basically boiled down to torturous hours of self- loathing. She

couldn't even smoke to try and calm herself down, she was too 'out of it.'

This morning's episode we had no choice but to sit with her and ride it out, trying to

comfort her as best as we could. We'd have been better off trying to convince a

schizophrenic that the re really _weren't _any voices there.

We weren't who she needed. She needed Edward.

Her body gave in at around half eight.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him!" Emmett hadn't really stopped pacing between the living

room and the entrance parlour for the past hour. He'd torn Felix a new asshole over the

phone, demanding that he locate Edward and get him home, immediately.

We'd heard nothing. That was…a little off, even for Edward's brooding.

Bella hiccupped in her sleep, making quite possibly the cutest sounds I'd ever heard. Em

stopped his pacing briefly to stand over her and just…admire all that she was.

All ours! We were actually the three luckiest bastards in the world.

I pulled her blanket tighter, tucking it under her chin the way you might with a baby.

Did we baby Bella? Probably. We fussed over her constantly. We couldn't help it. She

just captivated us. We were all in absolute awe of her.

I really needed to move her and put her into bed. But the selfish dick in me just didn't

want to part with her. We made our situation work – how I'll never know. We were three

of the most possessive, jealous pricks you'd ever meet. I think we were simply all of the –

silent – understanding that we couldn't be that way with each other, not over Bella. Not

one of us wanted to give her up or put her in a position where she'd have to choose

between us. Not when it could be anyone one of us she _didn't _pick. None of us would risk

it. But the truth of the matter was we did have to share. So moments where you got her all

to yourself were kinda rare. She made a point of spending some one on one time with

41

each of us every week, but she had such an attachment to _all _of us, and us to her, that

we'd usually all find ourselves deciding to just clamber into bed – together, just for the

sake of being near her. Sometimes we'd bicker over simple things like who got to hold

her, or cuddle up with her on the sofa. Bella rectified the sofa issue; she'd lie across all

three of us so we each got a 'part' of her. There were times when I just couldn't fathom

how she didn't spend all her time rolling her eyes at us.

We made it a point not to rub our…intimate moments with Bella in each others faces.

Sure, we all kissed her and worshipped her body and made love to her. But we made sure

to keep all of that separate...and private. We were all highly affectionate towards Bella,

no doubt about it. She was the same way with us, equally so. She never left one out. We

didn't mind innocent touches and light kisses when we were all together. But it was a case

of being respectful and decent, and I gotta say, I think we'd pretty much fucking nailed it.

I don't think any of us had ever really been jealous when witnessing one another being

affectionate towards our baby girl. It was an odd feeling actually. When I saw the other

two stroking her face or kissing her temple, playing with her hands or cuddling her, I

think I actually respected them even more. I had _never _thought 'get your fucking hands

off her, she's mine' when I witnessed it. Instead, it kinda made me smile. The way they

looked at her, intense, devoted and so full of love. Just how I felt. How could I ever feel

badly towards them for something I understood so clearly?

"Em, put your hand over her," I instructed, nodding my head towards where her shoulder

was.

He did, and frowned. "She's cold."

"We need to get her up," I began to shift forwards, sliding by butt to the edge of the sofa.

Emmett gripped under my arms, easing me up carefully so as not to disturb Bella. She

didn't even twitch. Out cold – literally.

"Need some help Jaz?" He asked, his brow furrowing as he watched her. I knew that look

and I knew exactly what he was feeling.

Worry.

Always worried about her.

I began walking towards the entrance parlour. "Yeah, we'll need to get her stripped off

and into PJ's."

He had my back the entire way up the stairs and rushed forwards to open her door for me.

People can say what they like about our relationship with Bella – weird, not normal,

unhealthy – but honestly, it just felt so natural to all of us. And, not that I'd ever admit it,

but I loved Emmett and Edward to death. Strictly non-gay-like you understand, I didn't

love them-long-time or anything, but they were great guys, my best friends. It's a good

job we were all so close, how this would ever have worked had we hated each other,

42

oooft! Daren't even think about it! We had _a lot _of guns and other lovely boys-toys

between us, the result…wouldn't have been a pretty one, of that I'm certain.

Emmett stole into the bathroom quickly but quietly to grab Bella some nightclothes as I

laid her down and began to shimmy her dress off.

Bella had an amazing body. She got hung up on all her scars. We barely noticed they

were there anymore. It was just her. They didn't for a moment make her any less

appealing. She was really just so, so beautiful. The only times we really acknowledged or

remembered she had them were when we shopped for Bella, we'd pick things up for her

and then remember she couldn't wear them. And then of course, the bastard times when

they'd give her some bother. Every now and then, they'd ache or give her twinges. No

rhyme or reason to it. It was totalling random.

I pulled her panties off and walked into the bathroom, dumping them and her dress into

the laundry basket. Emmett had managed to get her boy shorts on by himself by the time

I got back to the bed. Getting the top on was more of a two person job - if we wanted her

to stay asleep. I sat down and lifted her as Em pulled the top down and adjusted her arms

through the sleeves. She was like a floppy little ragdoll.

"You wanna stay with her?" Emmett quizzed, not taking his eyes from her lovely face.

I smiled, resting my cheek on top of her head, inhaling her delicious strawberry scent.

God, I'd never get enough of this woman. "Yeah, you get her in whilst I go change?"

"Sure," he replied, taking Bella from me as I stood.

I jumped into her shower quickly; silently chuckling at all of Bella's products lined up –

with ours right next to them. Three different shower gels and shampoo bottles of varying

colours and sizes, all paired together for each owner. Kinda just like how we really were.

I washed my hair and lathered up, pretty much instantly washing it all off. I wanted to get

into bed and be with baby girl.

I hopped out and did a rough, manly towel dry, hurting my balls in the process. I'd cringe

about that later; I had somewhere I needed to be. Throwing on a pair of black flannel

pants, I quickly rubbed my hair down and brushed my teeth. I put my clothes in the

laundry basket – sorry Maggie – and hung my towel up. That elicited another chuckle

from me. There, hung up, were Bella's large fluffy white towels…followed by my brown

one, Edward's black one and Emmett's _lime green _one. Poor girl. So much for having a

coordinated bathroom…

I walked back into the room to find Emmett sat on the bed, holding Bella's hand. Yup, I

feel you brother. We _all _got it bad!

I patted him on the shoulder, "she alright?"

43

"Yeah, not a peep. Holler if you need me?" He glanced at me sideways, looking

completely torn. He didn't want to leave her. But he had to go down and wait for Edward.

Emmett got the previous morning alone with Bella; I was kinda due some time. I hated

the way that sounded, like we had to schedule and split our time, bargain for it. It wasn't

like that. We all understood. If it had been me with Bella instead of Emmett during the

previous morning, I'd be the one waiting for Edward. One of us had to stay with baby

girl; one had to wait for wankface to come back. I was a little disappointed that Emmett

would get the first punc h in when he did finally swagger back home, but I'd take the trade

to stay with our girl all too happily, and not moan about it. I'd still smack the bitch when I

saw him, regardless.

"Sure thing. Send Laurie up when he gets back, would you?" I asked.

"No problem." He bent to kiss Bella's forehead, before giving me a parting slap on the

shoulder.

I didn't even wait for the door to close before I hopped in. The bed felt amazing. More so

when Bella instinctively curled herself into me. She was so small, so fragile. But none of

us were completely fooled. There was a fire breathing dragon in there at times. Yesterday

morning, for instance. That side of Bella didn't come out too often. Every once in a while

one of us would tip her too far, Edward nailing James' ass for example.

I glanced down at her bandaged hand. It should never have gotten that far. I winced at the

memory. There was nothing worse than when Bella hurt herself. She'd made a few

attempts at taking her own life; they were too painful for any of us to talk about. We went

to crazy lengths to make sure she couldn't hurt herself like that anymore, though just as

Bella usually did – she constantly surprised us. No doubt Edward would ensure

everything was in plastic containers/bottles/tubs from now on. Fuck having her mash her

own hand up again – just to prove a point.

I loved to watch Bella sleep. She was truly mesmerising. Her lips would open slightly

and pucker, making it all too tempting to want to suck on them. She had incredible lips.

Full and pouty and simply too damn enticing. Her skin was flawless. So soft to touch and

yet still so pale. We'd originally thought that Bella's paleness was down to the…condition

we found her in. She had been so frail and sickly looking. And of course, the blood

loss… We'd thought that with some time to recover, fresh air and sunshine, we'd put

some colour back into her. Not possible. Turns out, Bella's just naturally _very _fair

skinned. We may not have been able to get any colour into her skin, but we had put some

life back into her. And she glowed.

She made the most amazing sounds when she slept peacefully. We all found ourselves

hovering over her whilst she slept, just to listen to her, completely enamoured. She'd hum

and murmur and occasionally call out for us. Sometimes she'd say our names with the

hint of a smile on her lips - that was always the best to witness.

44

Her hair was fanned out, thick and luscious as usual. I loved her hair. It was like palming

silk. Some guys are ass or tit focussed, I was a hair guy. I could never help raking my

fingers through it. I actually nearly killed our hairdresser, Jess, when she chopped three

inches off of Bella's hair the last time she was here. Edward restrained me. I wanted to

fire her ass and then some – despite the fact she'd been with us for years. Poor girl had

cowered away when I yelled at her. But for the love of Christ, what part of 'just a trim' is

hard to fucking understand? Bella was…upset she'd taken _way _fucking more off than

necessary. She hid it well from Jess, but we knew better. She didn't like it when people

didn't listen to her, when they took the small snatches of control she felt she had, away

from her. It might sound petty to some that she'd be upset over the loss of three inches of

hair, it grows back, right? But it took a while for Bella to warm up to Jess. Fuck, she

trusted a stranger near her – with scissors. After everything that happened to her, she was

still able to ease up and trust Jess near her with a sharp fucking object.

"_Just a trim please_, _Jess._"

I was in the room with her when she'd said it. Jess thought she knew better. She was the

trained stylist, Bella would look much better with a little less apparently…

Wrong on so many levels.

I was pissed about baby girl's hair being that much shorter; I loved her hair just as it was.

We all did. It was natural and hung perfectly. Then there was the…mild bout of rage over

Jess' selective hearing. Jane always mocks us for treating Bella like a 'princess.' Of course

we do. We spoil her fucking rotten – she's ours to spoil. But it's not just about 'what Bella

wants, Bella gets.' It goes so much deeper than that. Specific things, simple things – like a

damn haircut, they _need _to be done to Bella's…requirements. Because they're just that –

Bella's. Her decision, her choice. A lot of the time, _some _people misconstrue it as divalike

behaviour on Bella's part. It isn't. Bella herself wasn't necessarily upset that her hair

was shorter; she was upset that Jess disregarded what she wanted, what she'd asked for.

She took that sliver of control away from Bella without a single thought. She just charged

right on in and did it the 'Jessica' way. Big-ass NO-NO!

I'd had a few…choice words for Jess that day. We made that bitch a lot of money. When

she stopped by, anyone who was in the grounds of the house came in. If she wanted to

continue making it, she'd damn well listen in future.

Bella also had a fairly mild anxiety attack – she thought I wouldn't like her hair different.

That's when the restraint from Edward was needed…

By noon, I still hadn't heard anything. Laurie hadn't come up to take my place. Emmett

had been up three times to check on Bella. I eventually drifted off, the sound of Bella's

soft breathing lulling me to sleep.

I woke up knowing that Edward was home. By the sounds of it, he hadn't been long in the

door. Emmett was yelling, Edward was shouting back, there was a loud crash – I presume

45

Emmett threw the fucker into something, and Laurie burst through Bella's bedroom door.

He was pissed.

Fuck.

Laurie was the only other person Bella could have in her room besides Edward, Emmett

and I. Maggie could come in, but she was very much out of sight. She'd come in whilst

Bella was in the shower to fix up the room and would wait until Bella was out of its

confines completely before coming in to collect or put away laundry and clean. Bella

thought a lot of Maggie, but Maggie knew the score. She'd never chance setting off

Bella's anxiety.

We trusted Laurie with her life. The guy was the only person we knew who was bigger

than Emmett. He was a machine. Our machine. Lethal, deadly, uncompromising. He

thought the world of baby girl. He happily took up the protective big brother role. We all

knew him as Laurent, Bella thought it was too much of a 'pickle to pronounce.' She

shortened it to Laurie. He didn't mind. I guess it stuck.

Laurie was 6'8 and 300 odd pounds of pure, well defined muscle, or in Bella's own words

upon first sight – 'one big-ass, bald, black dude.' We'd all laughed at that. He was ranked

with James. James was good. Bella was close to him. But it didn't even begin to touch

how she was with Laurie. She let Laurie cuddle up with her whilst she was sleeping in

bed. He was the only other person she trusted to do that when we couldn't. Laurie was

allowed in her room. James wasn't. That's not to say we didn't all trust James. It was just

what Bella was comfortable with. If James watched her overnight, she left the bedroom

door wide open and he stationed himself outside of it. If Laurie watched her, he was on

the bed, wide awake, with her cuddled into him.

The problem with Laurie lay with his…talents. He was one of our ultimate bests. He got

sent to take care of a shit load of things. We were really fucking reliant on him. If we

three had to go do something, chances were, Laurie was with us. Which meant baby girl

didn't get to spend that much time with him. We'd given Laurie his own room in the

house, like we had done with James. He probably used it…once a week, if that. A lot of

the time he was here, he'd station himself close to Bella, regardless if we were all with

her. It'd take more than a nuclear missile to get through that guy on _his _Bella watch, that's

for damn sure.

He'd been in Japan for the last two weeks, keeping a close eye on their…activities.

Fuckers were trying to ship in a fuck load of crates for the Russians – on our turf. We'd

be making a move to intercept that beauty of a 'gift' in a few days time. Teach 'em all a

fucking lesson on who they were trying to ass- fuck. As Bella always so eloquently put it,

'don't piss on my back and tell me it's raining.' Pricks.

"Oh Jay- man, you got problems brother," Laurie swiped his tongue over his lip.

Perfect.

46

"Do I even want to know?"

Laurie walked over to the bed, he grinned the minute he spotted Bella, bunched up in the

sheets, buried into me. He reached his Hulk sized hand out to run it over the top of her

head.

"Those Russians, Jaz, I'm fucking telling you. Those cunts are really starting to get

ballsy," he whispered, not wanting to disturb baby girl. "How's she been?" He bent to

squat down, gazing at Bella. "Em looked ready to slaughter Edward, by the way."

"Three hours. She started at five," I rubbed my hands roughly over my face. I had to get

moving. But I didn't want to leave her.

"Fuck," he frowned. "Often?"

"She flipped badly Tuesday night, three separate attacks, one straight after the other.

James found her in the library. Breathing went to shit. Had to give her a shot to calm her

down. Jane set off the third. Before that, nothing too serious, pretty mild."

His eyes flashed to mine. Every trace of the killer he was suddenly reflected. "Say the

word and I can _rectify _that little problem, you know. Stupid bitch," he sneered, bending to

place a light kiss to Bella's head.

I snorted, "get in line, Laurie, get in fucking line. Edward was ready to take a knife to her

damn tongue."

His eyes bugged. "You were here when she did it?"

I nodded.

"Fuck, girlies got some gonads. How'd Aro react when he found out?"

I raised my eyebrows. Stupid question.

He smirked, "I'll take that as a 'not good.' How _that _ever came from Sully, I'll never

know," he sighed. "You get going, I got her. Been too damn long since I got in some Beetime,

quit being a selfish ass and hand her over already," Laurie grinned.

I gave her a quick squeeze, whispering into her ear that I loved her. Laurie removed his

jacket and shoes, waiting for me to shift a little before he could pick her up.

I made it off the bed, slapping my cheeks a couple times to wake myself up a little.

Laurie had her scooped fully into his arms and was settling down into the centre of the

bed, Bella sat sideways across him, snuggled into his neck. It's how they always were

together.

47

I grabbed Bella's cashmere blanket from the bottom of her bed and helped Laurie

swaddle her in it, tucking her in. Laurie never 'slept' with blankets, especially when he

had Bella. He wouldn't risk getting tangled in them if he had to move suddenly. This way,

should he need to jump up, they were both in a ready position. He wouldn't sleep.

Fucker was thorough.

I smiled when I heard Bella mumble his name as I walked from her room. I made sure to

keep the door wide open, if she woke up and started attacking again; we needed to be

able to hear it.

I was a little disappointed to not find Edward in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the

stairs, it has to be said. Maybe Em was loosing his touch…

What took me by surprise was the large black holdall that had been dumped by the front

door…slashed to near pieces. I knew what it was instantly. Edward's 'car' supplies. I

didn't need to look any closer to know I'd find an assortment of guns, knives and other

preferred…devices in it. That bag never left Edward's trunk. So why was it here, in that

state?

There were also droplets of blood all over the floor. Some smeared. And muddy

footprints everywhere. And Edward's jacket lay in shredded pieces amongst it all. Fuck,

_had _Emmett killed him?

"…no fucking need, she's fine! WE'VE been here, remember?" Emmett snapped as

Edward stalked through the kitchen doors and into the entrance parlour, flipping Emmett

off in the process whilst muttering to himself.

Edward was…a fucking mess. His shirt was torn and bloody, his hair in more of a state

than usual and he looked harassed. He had what looked like road rash all over his

forearms, his lip was split, there was dried blood running from his left ear and down his

jaw and there was a rather nasty bruise starting to form on his left temple.

"Jesus Em, I didn't think you were actually being serious," I quipped, smirking at

Edward.

Emmett snorted as Edward's scowl turned on me. "Cut the shit, Jasper. We've got major

fucking problems. Where's Bella?"

I kept up the pretence of making witty banter; inside I was pissed as hell. "You hear that

Em? He wants to know about Bella."

"Sure did, Jaz. Funny that, eh?" Emmett responded lightly, bouncing on his toes.

"Hmmm," I nodded. "Didn't seem all the bothered last night though, did he? Or this

morning?" I cocked my head to the side, narrowing my eyes at the turd.

48

Edward glared at me. "Fuck you Jasper. Don't you fucking dare start that bullshit with

me! Where is she?"

"She's safe, Laurie's got her. Hey Em," I glanced up, "you think he might have the

decency to explain to us where the FUCK his sorry ass has been?"

"Well, I don't know Jaz. What do you think?" Emmett played along.

"Oh," I said dangerously, letting the anger seep into my words, "I think he'd better."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose and began to pace. He really did look like shit.

Bella was gonna freak out. Fucking happy days…

"What you think Jaz? Give him till ten?" Emmett was just itching to smack him about.

Edward finally bit. "Will you two fucking girls quit with the fucking commentary! Fuck!"

"I make that six left, how 'bout you Em?" This was fun.

"I'd make it four now," he shot back.

Edward roared, "I GOT FUCKING HIT!"

Fuck.

Kicking his ass just went out the window.

Emmett flew up the stairs; shoulder barging passed Edward as he went. "Why the fuck

didn't you say that sooner, fucking PRICK!" He yelled. We could hear his thumping

footsteps all the way along the corridor as he sped into Bella's bedroom.

This…was not good.

"What happened?" I asked, concern replacing the fury I was feeling over the Bella

situation. Now I was pissed for a whole other reason. Someone tried taking out Edward.

Someone had the Goddamn nerve to attack _my _family. Hell no!

"I left Aro's place last night around ten. I wanted to get back for Bella," he sighed,

rubbing at his eyes furiously. "I made it about a mile before the first shot fired. Car's

totalled. Flipped it twice. The y kept firing. Managed to claw my way out and get to the

trunk. We were up by Hill Top."

"The Russians?" I cut in.

Edward shook his head wearily, "Yeah, and Mori's guys - _and _the De Luca's," He

sneered.

49

Mori's men? Ballsy little bastards! _And _the Sicilians? Aro was gonna _love _that.

"Numbers?" I asked. I needed to do the math. We had to know what we were up against.

"Five cars – all SUV's. Had false plates on them. I managed to blow two. One sped off

straight away. The other two…let's just say there was a rather long cat and mouse chase

through the woods."

Jesus Christ…

"Edward, how the fuck did you manage out of that one? No scrap that, I don't wanna hear

about it, you fluky bastard." Only Edward. I swear, the guy was indestructible.

Emmett and Laurie were suddenly running down the stairs, Bella still wrapped up in his

arms just the way I'd left her, Emmett was talking furiously on his phone.

Laurie handed Bella straight over to Edward. He took her without hesitation and sat on

the third step, gazing down at her the way a parent might look down at their newborn.

Absolute wonder painted across his features.

"One of us is with her at _all _times, she doesn't leave this house, she doesn't get told

anything." Edward spoke so softly, like he was cooing a small infant. He hadn't taken his

eye off her.

Emmett snapped his eyes to mine, "uhhh…"

Edward's head shot up, "what?"

Emmett looked to the side, putting into place his avoidance technique. It was a bit like

when the teacher used to ask the class a question at school, and you didn't know the

answer – so you ducked your head and prayed not to be picked.

Guess this one was on me then…

"We uhhh," I scratched the back of my head, "…may have promised Bella could get a

puppy…go pick it out…today…"

Emmett was still finding the wall highly interesting. Traitorous bastard.

Edward closed his eyes, opening and closing his mouth several times before steeling his

jaw. "_You what_?" He bit out.

The wall did actually look REALLY freakin' fascinating all of a sudden…

50

**Please let me know what your thoughts are! Teaser going up soon, hopefully within**

**the next hour - we'll be back to Bella :)**

Chapter 4

**Meyer owns it all! Don't steal my plot.**

**A/N: Flippin' 'eck! Go away for a weekend and come back to find the story's had**

**600+ hits - Jay-sus! Feeling a little overwhelmed to find it has generated interest. A**

**massive thank you to everyone who is reading! Lots more favs/alerts added. Can I**

**also say a specific thank you to Allison and alana2036 who have reviewed every**

**chapter; the comments really do make me smile :)**

**Is it really pathetic to have a weekend away and actually itch to get back home to**

**continue writing? Yeah…thought so! Here's Chapter four in full! Hope you enjoy!**

_Chapter Four_

_Bella_

I was amazed to find I'd slept until eleven…on Friday morning. I'd been out for around

twenty-seven hours. Not so much as a peep from me. I hadn't so much as twitched the

entire time. If I had dreams, I couldn't remember. If someone tried to shake me awake –

doubtful – then they weren't successful. If there'd been a fire…ah, the boys would have

gotten me out.

I was ecstatic to find Laurie with me. I'd missed my big baldy like crazy – two weeks was

far too long a time when Laurie wasn't about. I'll admit, I had moped a little. I dived on

him the second I saw him. It hurt. Guy was built like a house – and I say that knowing

Emmett. I didn't care. I got my squeeze and wasn't for letting go. That was, until I

realised my bladder was about ready to burst. And I stunk. The boys had seemingly just

put me to bed after my attack. Ick.

I wrinkled my nose, "jeez Laurie, how'd you manage to stay in the room, much less the

bed with me? I hum!"

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling as he looked down at me. Ah, this is how I liked Laurie

best. Happy and carefree. "You don't 'hum' princess," he rolled his eyes. "You could

never 'hum'; the boys would be in with the strawberry spritz before that _ever _happened."

I snorted.

Sadly, he was right.

51

"I really gotta pee!" I leapt from the bed, the sounds of Laurie's laughter following me

even after I'd shut the bathroom door.

And oh sweet Lord, the relief!

"Bee?"

"Yeah?"

"What you want to eat hunny?" He called through the door.

_And don't even think about saying nothing_…

"And don't even think about saying nothing," he added in a slightly sterner voice.

I grinned. "Dunno - just whatever Maggie's made will be fine."

"No preference?"

"Nope," I popped the 'p'. "Honestly, just whatever's easiest for her!"

I brushed my teeth twice in an attempt to de- fur my mouth. Disgusting. I turned the

shower on full and adjusted the temperature to near scolding, stripped down and

clambered in. I felt so grimy, a good twenty minutes having the skin burned from my

body seemed like a fabulous idea.

I didn't hear the bathroom door clicking open or closed - nor the shower door sliding

open. I was too absorbed in the luscious feeling of the hot water cleaning my body.

When arms snaked around my waist, I froze.

"Your unobservant tendencies could get you into a lot of trouble one day baby girl," the

silky smooth voice whispered into my ear, making me shudder.

I found myself relaxing; melting into his touch as his lips gently laid a course from said

ear all the way down to my shoulder.

His strong, tattooed arm reached out towards the temperature dial and twisted it slowly.

"I thought I told you I didn't ever want this getting adjusted beyond a seven, Bella."

His voice was low and soft and like melted better, but the firm rebuke was there. I

ignored it, opting instead to stare with heavy lids at the inside of his forearm as it flexed

and worked the dial. The black Italian scripture that painted his skin there seemed to

dance as his tendons stressed and relaxed. They each had that very same tattoo. All three

in the exact same spot – inside of their left forearm. '_Bella_. _L'esperîenza di questa dolce_

_vita._'

52

I'd objected when they went to get them. I was overruled. Kinda glad I was.

"Bella, what did I say about the dial?"

Hmmm, lips felt good, tattoo was freakin' sexy, water nice and warm.

The lips disappeared. I wanted to pout. I may have done.

His fingers found their way my chin and turned my face towards his. "Bella?" He arched

his eyebrows.

The cheat.

"Not above a seven," I responded automatically, as if in a trance. Stupid, beautiful, green

eyes!

"Then why is it up past ten?" He began laying feather light kisses to my forehead, my

eyes, my cheeks…

Ohhhh.

Goo. I was goo.

"Bella?"

"Hmmm?"

No need for talking, none at all. More kissing, lots more kissing. Kissing _was _needed…

"Why was it past ten, Bella?"

"Felt dirty," I murmured, biting back a moan as his teeth gently grazed my lips.

Nothing but a puddle. A big, gooey, puddle-some mess…

His fingers traced my sides lightly, I could feel his nails scarcely touching me, yet the

barely-there touch sent shivers coursing through my body, igniting it. Hot on cold.

"Bella," he whispered against my lips.

Ooooo, Jell-O legs, Jell-O legs! Grab something, anything! Must support Jell-O legs!

He turned me to face him and brought his forehead down to rest against mine, his fingers

still doing magical things against my skin. "How many times do we have to tell you,

you're not dirty baby girl?"

53

Was he talking? Why did the kissing stop? I felt like I was having a bit of a Jack Sparrow

'_why is the rum gone_?' moment from _Pirates of the Caribbean_. Only my version was a

little different - WHY has the kissing stopped?

He cupped my face in his hands. "If you want to take a shower, that's fine baby. But I

won't have you scolding your skin. We talked about this, remember?"

I did remember. I remember it being a tad one sided. They told me I couldn't have the

temperature gage past a seven. End of discussion.

I hummed in response, the feel of his wonderful fingers slipping over my cheeks and

running down my jaw, my neck, over my shoulders – it was amazing. The sensatio ns felt

incredible as the hot water beat down on me. I may have argued the whole 'seven' thing,

y'know, if it weren't for the whole being wet and naked and with him thing. Sneaky

bastard.

"Bella baby, I don't want to have to resort to making you shower with one of us at all

times again, but I will if I find you keep adjusting that dial past the seven." His nose

skimmed the sensitive area of skin just behind my ear, his lips taking to my neck.

I moaned and tilted my head back, allowing him further access. I'd argue later. His hands

disappeared from my body and I heard the cap of a bottle being flicked open, the sickly

sweet scent of strawberries attacking my nose. His lips trailed from my throat to my own,

where he began a slow, sensual attack. I didn't put up a fight.

I wound my hands around his wet, slippery back, running my fingernails up and down

and feeling the drops of water dripping in between my fingers. His hands came up to my

hair, slowly massaging the shampoo in, never breaking the kiss. Fuck, it fe lt unbelievably

good. Words just could not do it justice.

He tilted my head back under the spray of water falling from the ceiling, continuing to

run his fingers through my hair, relieving it of the suds. He still hadn't broken the kiss;

instead, he'd deepened it, his tongue dancing with mine softly, lovingly. He began to

lather my hair for the second time and rinsed it just the same way.

I heard the shampoo bottle being clicked closed, followed by another bottle being clicked

open. I felt the warm, soapy sponge glide across my shoulders, down one of my arms and

back up, across my chest and down my other arm. It came back up again and wound

around my neck, across the top half of my back before dipping to the lower part. I

adjusted my hands, snaking them around his neck as the sponge found its way under my

arms, my sides, squeezed between our bodies to reach my stomach.

I was breathing heavily through my nose when he finally broke the kiss to kneel down in

front of me. The sponge began to slide over my hips, my thighs, my knees. My God, he

was killing me.

54

His fingers reached my left foot, placing it on his thigh as he sat back to wash the back of

my knee, my calf, my ankle and finally my foot. He repeated the actions with my right

leg. By then, I wasn't sure ho w much longer I could remain standing. My legs were

shaking and my breathing had spiked. I'd thrown my head back against the tiled shower

wall, small moans escaping me.

When he placed my foot back onto the floor, he'd set it a fair distance apart from the

other. My legs were spread. I gulped as I felt the sponge begin an agonisingly slow trail

up and up and up.

I sucked in a sharp breath as that wicked sponge began to rub between my legs. I could

feel his eyes on my face, watching me with an intensity I'm not sure I could have handled

seeing without spontaneously combusting on the spot.

"Feel better?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

Did he honestly expect me to be able to answer? With words? Form a sentence?

I nodded…I think. Hard to tell. May have been more of a snapped neck dangling

motion…

The sponge was gone. I felt like live electricity. I had to fight the urge to clench my legs

together and squeeze. Jesus, what these boys do to me. If I lived to see my 25th Birthday,

I'd be amazed. I wasn't sure my heart could take it.

His lips suddenly brushed against the top of my inner thigh, his fingers digging lightly

into the flesh just under my backside. I inhaled sharply, holding my breath.

"We'd do anything for you Bella, you that know that?" He whispered against my skin.

I did know. I knew that they were foolish. I knew that they shouldn't bother. I knew

they'd be better off with somebody else. I knew another could give them so much more

than I could. I knew a lot of things. I also knew that I was partly too selfish to ever let

them go. And I knew that I wanted him to continue along the kissing path he was

currently trailing, the final destination meant very, very good things for me…

"There's nothing in the world that we'd ever want to deny you Bella," he continued.

Oh God, I could feel his breath on me – right there. This was torture.

His lips grazed the top of me. Just a fraction more…

I was panting, and hot, and needing. My fingers reached out and dug at the tiled wall,

unable to grip on for the wetness. Fuck, there was nothing to grip onto in here _at all_. We

needed rails in here - pronto!

55

"You only ever need to say the word, and we'd go to the moon and back to try and make

you happy," his fingers brushed around my legs and came rest between them, opening me

gently, I barely felt the touch.

I think I began to hyperventilate. I threw one of my hands over my face and tried to calm

my breathing. A knot in my stomach began to form, wriggling and rolling in preparation

for the coming onslaught – pun so intended.

He hooked a hand under my knee and brought my foot to rest on top of his shoulder,

bending it outwards and opening me further. I was completely on display. Shame? What's

that?

"You know all of that, don't you Bella?" His words literally vibrated against my centre,

causing the knot to tighten a fraction.

I whimpered.

The little mound of nerves crying out for his mouth felt as though it was pulsating

outwards - towards him. Like a root in the ground sifts its way to the sunlight, nubby here

was trying to shift towards _him_.

"You mean everything to us. We love you so completely, it consumes us. Sometimes it

doesn't feel like there's much left in us anymore, except for you."

His finger began easing its way into me slowly, just as his mouth found purchase on my

clit and sucked lightly.

"Sweet Lord!" I gasped, my knees growing weaker.

His mouth pulled back and his finger eased almost all of the way out of me. I cried out

from the loss. "You love us, don't you Bella?"

I nodded furiously.

Love you, love them – love your mouth and the things it does. About that, _by the way_…

"I want to hear you say it baby," he said, his voice oozing sex.

"Yes, yes I love you. All of you. So much," I puffed.

"Only us?"

Wheezing. I think that's what this was called. Yes, I was wheezing. Definitely wheezing.

"Of course, only you. Only ever you three."

"You promise?" He pressed.

56

Jesus. What did he want, a blood oath? "Yes, I promise!" Utterly beyond desperation

here…

I could feel him smile against me as he brought his mouth back down, "good, no dog

then."

Fine, absolutely, whatever you say, very good, as you were, no do-

My eyes snapped open.

One blink…

Two blinks…

Three blinks…

The _fucker_!

That's what all of this was for? He didn't want me to get my puppy? The one I'd finally

been promised after all this time?

My gentle act of persuasion with the other two _paled _to near transparency in comparison

to this! I felt kinda…used. I'd been tricked.

Oh, oh, oh! I think fucking _not_!

Wants to play games does he? The shit!

I shoved him away, turned the dial down to zero and sped from the shower, slamming the

doors shut behind me.

He shrieked like a little girl.

I swaddled myself in a towel and stomped from the bathroom, slamming that door behind

me as well.

"BELLA!"

Fuck you!

Maggie had been in. The bed had been changed and the curtains were open. Jasper had

laid out some clothes. I frowned when I saw them. The dress would only come to my

knees, and it was sleeveless. Not something I'd normally wear at all…

I searched the bed. Ah, ok. Long sleeved top to wear under it and a pair of black tights.

Fine.

57

I made my way to the closet and rummaged for some underwear. I stuffed my feet

through the two holes and bunny jumped awkwardly across the bedroom floor as I pulled

them up. I looked like an absolute plank, I had no doubt.

I angrily threw my top over my head and pulled it down. That's when Edward burst

through the door – dripping wet, naked and…oh, little Eddie wasn't 'up' to playing

anymore. Honestly, cold water should be bottled as medicine to cure most ailments. It

really does work wonders in so little time.

"What the hell Bella?" He bellowed.

_Serves you right_! Oh, that was a good one, direct and completely to the point...

"Serves you right! You freakin' ass!" I shouted back, yanking the dress over my head

roughly.

"What did I do?" He stared at me with wide eyes.

Was he serious? "What do you mean, 'what did I do?' You know damn fine what _you_

_did_!" I threw my towel at him. It hit him in the face. I felt good about that.

I began stuffing my hands into the ends of my tights to get them on; this dress was really

making me feel uncomfortable with my legs being on show. I wanted to be covered as

quickly as possible. I felt…vulnerable not being covered.

He rolled his eyes and wrapped the towel around his waist, "you're not seriously pissed

off because of that? Bella, I was only playing!"

Fuck you, fuck you some more, fuck you hard and rough, hope it's a man!

I finally got my second foot in the bloody hole and began shimmying and stretching the

tights up my legs. I felt a little less defenceless the further up they came, coating my legs

in black.

"Bella," he began to move towards me.

I hurriedly made my way to my nightstand, jerked open the draw and took out a box of

condoms. Turning, I lobbed them at him.

The box hit his shoulder and bounced off him. He caught it quickly.

He frowned, "what th-"

I cut him off. "Since you're so hell bent on acting like a complete cock, you may as well

look like one!" I yelled.

58

"Bella, I didn't mean it lik-"

Done listening. "Get out!"

"Bella, please just listen to me! I'm sorry. Really. I just thoug-"

"Thought what? You'd use sex against me to get your own way? To manipulate me?" I

spat.

"It wasn't like that! Bella, fuck! Just listen to m-"

Emmett, Jasper and Laurie suddenly burst through the doors. Aro and James were right

behind them…staying behind the threshold.

"What the hell's going on in here?" Emmett thundered, looking between Edward and me.

Jasper took in my angry stance and instantly looked like he wanted to go for Edwards's

jugular. "What did you _do_?" He glared at Edward.

Emmett's head snapped to him as well, frowning.

"Nothing…something. Fuck! It was a misunderstanding!" He began pulling at his hair.

Laurie began to walk towards me but with one look, I told him to back the fuck off. He

stopped immediately.

"Bella, sweetheart? Are you alright?" Aro asked from the doorway, panicked.

A couple of angry tears left my eyes. I swiped at them furiously. "I'm fine," I said through

gritted teeth.

Stop crying! Don't be a baby! Quit being the pathetic sad case just for _once _Swan!

Aro was here? Why was Aro here?

I suddenly found myself wanting nothing more than a fatherly hug from him.

"Edward, I swear to _God _if I heard her correctly in the hallway, I'll have you damn nuts!"

Jasper snarled.

Oh fuck. Had they heard all of that?

"It wasn't like that! I didn't mean…" Edward breathed out crossly. "Bella, baby. I swear I

didn't mean it to come across like that! I promise."

59

Emmett's fists scrunched into tight balls as he straightened himself up. "How did you

mean it Edward?"

"Fuck you Em, clear off! You know shit," Edward glared.

Jasper looked poised and ready to pounce. "Apparently neither do you," he said

menacingly. "More so _if _I heard right…"

Edward glowered, "you know what, fuck you too Jaz. It was my mistake and it's mine to

put right. So piss off and stop interfering!"

"Perhaps we wouldn't have to 'interfere' if you'd just fucking STOP fucking up all the

damn time!" Jasper roared.

"Yeah, let's not forget the episode she had a _direct _result of your piss ant antics the other

night! Three fucking hours, Edward!" Emmett growled.

"And she mangled her hand because you're too much of a stubborn ass to back the fuck

down!" Jasper cut in.

Christ, I had to make this right. They'd kill each other.

What was I really angry about? That Edward had tried to manipulate me using sex? It

certainly wasn't something any of my boys would normally do, not with me and

definitely not given my…history. So why _had _he done it? Why was he supposedly that

against me getting my puppy that he'd resort to doing that? Or was I simply being

overemotional because I was left horny and frustrated? Was it a bit of both? I had no

idea.

"Fuck you both!" Edward yelled. "Like you're both so fucking perfect!"

This was getting out of control. None of them would back down, not when it came to me.

Edward would keep on fighting until his last breath left him, knowing that he had to put

things right with me but not wanting the interference from the other two. And Em and

Jaz, they'd just keep going in defence of my 'honour.'

Crap.

I hated it when they argued. It didn't happen _too _often, not like this. Usually they bicker

over work related stuff. But when it came to me, they were rarely out of agreement; they

stuck with each other, showed a united front. I didn' t like the other two ganging up on

Edward. Despite what had happened, he had a point. It was for me and him to sort out –

as in mine and Edward's relationship 'issues' to mend. The problem? We all viewed this

as being one relationship. Sure there were four people, but we were very much a unit. So

how do you stop the other two from diving in?

60

Aro. He was the boss. They listened to him. Maybe he could diffuse…this. Whatever

'this' had become…

"Up yours _limp dick_!" Edward.

"Your parents should have used birth control, you know that?" Jasper.

"At least my mother doesn't look like a man!" Edward.

"You have gay hair!" Emmett.

"At least I have hair; you didn't get pubes till you were 16!" Edward.

"How would you know, fucking poof!" Emmett.

"He has a point, Em…" Jasper.

"Fuck you Jaz; I know you didn't just say that! At least I didn't 'experiment' in college,

gay boy!" Emmett.

"EMMETT!" Jasper.

_What_?

"Yeah, thought you could ply me with enough beer to make me forget did you? Prick.

Probably just wanted to get me fucked up enough so you could stare at my ass!" Emmett.

"You were in night-time diapers till you were nine, Sir wets-a-lot!" Jasper.

Edward snorted.

"You shit yourself whilst in your neighbour's pool!" Emmett.

"You went out with twins and fucked the wrong sister!" Jasper.

"At least I was getting laid, Mr big V till he was 19!" Emmett.

Edward doubled over laughing, even Laurie – Mr self-composed, was having a difficult

time fighting the urge to buckle at the absurdity of it all. Aro looked…irritated. Like he

wanted to bash all three of their heads together.

Emmett and Jasper shared a look before rounding on Edward. "SHUT UP GINGER!"

Edward's face darkened instantly, "it's not ginger, it's AUBURN!"

It had turned into one mass boy scouts pissing contest.

61

Made men my ass.

I sent a pleading glance to Aro. He looked at me and then averted his gaze to the

threshold, silently asking for permission. I nodded.

He stepped over it and came straight to me. He wrapped his arms around me and bent in

towards my ear. "Why don't you go with James and get something to eat sweetheart, I'll

be down in a moment."

The boys hadn't noticed his entrance. They seemingly didn't notice my departure either.

I was at the top of the stairs when I heard Aro's booming voice carry over.

"ENOUGH!"

Jesus, could they be anymore infantile? At least it had taught me something though. If I

were ever to mate with them, my poor child would be an incontinent, late developing, bisexual,

she- male with bowl control issues, ginger hair and a memory like a goldfish…oh,

and they'd never got laid. The words _hysterectomy _and _have a _were suddenly at the

forefront of my mind.

I shuddered.

Maggie was bustling around in the kitchen when James and I walked in. What took me

by surprise were the twenty or so men in with her. I instantly cowered back.

"Oh fuck, Bella. I'm sorry! I completely forgot," James began apologising profusely.

I shook my head, trying to tell him not to worry. Words escaped me. All I could focus on

were the strangers.

"Come on, we'll get you set up elsewhere." He began guiding me out. "Maggie, some

food for Bella please?" He called out.

James got me set up in the living room; he situated me on his lap and held me tightly,

trying to ease my nerves.

"How you feeling James?" I asked, attempting to distract myself from the men in the

kitchen.

"I'm fine hunny, don't you worry about me." He stroked my still wet hair, running his

fingers through the knots.

Aro was walking through the door ten minutes later, a hairbrush and dryer in each hand.

His forehead crinkled as he took us both in, "what happened?"

62

Not wanting to let James bear the brunt of this one, I cut in straight away. "My fault. I

walked into the kitchen to see Maggie and didn't listen to James. There's…a lot

of…people in there."

Aro glared at James. "I'll speak to you later. Go."

Fuck.

"Don't you worry precious, it's alright," he whispered before standing and settling me

back down onto the sofa, before striding from the room.

Aro smiled warmly at me, "I swear Bella, I'm surrounded by idiots. Come give an old

man a hug and brighten his day will you?"

I didn't need asking twice.

I wrapped my arms around him and inhaled his expensive, slightly spiced scent. His

cheek fell to the top of my head as he lovingly enveloped me.

Aro had become somewhat of a father to me. I think we'd been good for each other. We

both needed the connection we provided the other with. Me, a father. Him, someone to

simply love. Though, being honest, a rattlesnake would have been a sufficient

replacement for _Jane_.

"Ah Bella," he cooed, "I swear, you're the light in everybody's tunnel, you know that?"

I snorted. "I'm trouble. I cause nothing but problems."

He kissed my forehead, "all the more endearing because you don't see yourself clearly at

all. Come, let's get this hair dried. The last thing we need right now is for this house to go

into meltdown again because you've gotten sick."

He had a point. The last time I became 'ill', six different doctors were called in, two lost

their medical certificates because the boys didn't like their 'tone' when they were told to

stop fussing over nothing, I wasn't allowed out of bed for two weeks and I was hooked up

to several pointless monitors. I had a summer cold.

I sat on the floor beneath Aro as he tentatively made sure every _strand _of my hair was

dry. I was honestly starting to think the hairdryer would blow up from the heated

excursion. He was worse than all three of them put together at times.

He finally switched the dryer off and lifted me up next to him on the sofa. "So, you want

to go and get a puppy today?" He smiled brightly.

"Oh, maybe that's not such a good idea," I bit my lip, worrying. I didn't want to cause

anymore hassle. I think I'd done quite enough for one day…

63

"Nonsense. They promised you. What kind do you have your eye on?"

"I don't," I shrugged. "I was just going to go to the local dog's home and pick one out."

"A rescue dog?" He asked.

"Well, I'd prefer a puppy," I laughed, "but I suppose it doesn't really matter. I can also

make a donation to the home this way."

Aro stroked my cheek, "very admirable…very _Bella_."

Maggie came in then with a plate. "Sorry for the hold up, Aro, those men are absolute

pigs, by the way." She set my plate down along with some cutlery.

"I'll be in to sort them out soon for you, Maggie. I promise."

She bustled away, muttering to herself about 'needing to buy them a troth.'

"What's with them all being here anyway?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Aro waved his hand, as though it was nothing. "Just testing out security. They won't

bother you again sweetheart. How about we get some food into you, hmmm?"

I grimaced as I took in the contents of the plate. Eggs and crispy bacon. My stomach

lurched.

"You want something else darling girl?"

I did. I actually felt like something else completely. But Maggie had already made this; I

didn't want to be ungrateful.

"Maggie made a huge batch to feed the others, she'll quite happily whip you up

something else," he said, as if reading my mind.

Ten minutes later, I was sat with a bowl of freshly peeled and sliced peaches, smothered

in natural yogurt and chopped nuts. Perfect.

I was far too spoiled.

I ate the lot. I may have licked the bowl clean.

Aro had gone to sort some out some business but was back and beaming at me and my

finished bowl quickly.

64

"Right, now, conditions of yo u going out today," he sat down and took my hand in his.

"Laurie will be coming with you, plus another five. I don't want any arguments,

sweetheart. You'll take one of the protective vehicles, not your own, alright?"

It didn't seem that over the top. They usually tried to chauffeur me around, worried I'd

crash or something else equally ridiculous.

"Okay," I smiled. "I'll go grab my shoes and bag."

"And your coat!" Aro called after me frantically.

I rolled my eyes.

An hour later, me and the followers found ourselves eyeing up another cage at the dogs

trust. I hadn't seen 'the one' yet.

We'd seen just about every damn cage there was. The guys were bored. I was cold. Laurie

seemed on edge.

Gah!

Not my day today at all.

I was about to just give the fuck up and hand them a donation any way's – minus a puppy

– when I spotted her. She was tiny. Still a pup, all on her own and yapping viciously at

the stupid woman attempting to feed her – through the damn cage.

Why was she on her own?

I strode over and bent down, only for the tiny little thing to strut right over to me. Girlie

had some swagger, I can tell you. I was about to put my fingers through the cage when

said stupid woman cried out.

"DON'T!"

I looked at her questioningly.

"She's unsociable. She'll take your fingers right off!"

Ignoring her, I put my fingers through the wire only for tiny to start licking at them.

Unsociable my ass.

I raised my eyebrows at the woman, who was now gaping at me.

"She seems fine to me, perhaps she's just fed up of being the black sheep," I quipped.

65

"Oh, you don't understand. She's really quite nasty. Not got a nice temperament. We had

to section her off pretty quickly. She was making a lot of trouble for her litter."

Tiny began to growl rather cutely at the woman, who took a step back. I couldn't really

blame the poor little pup. I don't think I'd be overly friendly if I'd been on my own for so

long, being fed through a fence…

Honest to God.

"I'll take her," I smiled.

The woman looked at me like I was mad. When she saw that I was really quite serious,

she began to wring her hands. She'd noticed the men with me.

"Umm, I'm afraid that's not possible. She's due to be destroyed tomorrow."

I felt sick. Surely they wouldn't?

"Well, I guess I've just saved you the effort of murdering a small, defenceless animal

then, haven't I?" I snapped.

Tiny was snarling at her. Okay, maybe not so defenceless. She'd fit right in to our misfit

family.

"I want her. I'm quite happy to make it worth your while."

As if on cue, Laurie pulled a wad of hundreds from his inside pocket and began to flip

uninterestedly through them.

"I'll uhhh, go speak to my manager." She backed away, her eyes on the wad of green.

Wasting no time, I opened the gate and walked into the pen. Tiny trotted happily up to

me as I bent down and began to fuss over her.

Sometimes, you just need shown a little love.

I picked her up, determined to sneak her out of here if I had to. She began to lick my face

and purred when I scratched her head. She was just too damn cute. And so, so

affectionate.

I wasn't leaving without her.

The same silly woman from before came back, following behind another woman.

"Oh miss, please. We'd be liable if anything were to happen. Could you put her

back…please?" The woman who I presumed to be the manager asked.

66

"I'll wave liability, I want this one."

"Well, Miss…?"

"Swan," I replied, snuggling into the most adorable pup ever to have lived.

"Miss Swan, the pug here really isn't…favourable. As Lisa's already mentioned, she's set

to be destroyed tomorrow. I believe you're the first and only person she's ever

been…pleasant towards. She's not known for being…agreeable."

"Yes, she's quite the monster," I shot back sarcastically as tiny licked and nipped

playfully - yet gently, at my ear, making me giggle. It wasn't like me to be so openly

bitchy, but she was talking shit about my pup. She could fuck off. "I guess you've just

earned some free time tomorrow, is there any paperwork I need to sign?"

We made it out half an hour later, after much hesitation from the manager of the dog's

home. I named her Minnie. I absolutely loved her.

I cringed away from them when they'd offered me some of Minnie's 'things' to take with

us. Hell no. They looked infested. No way was my pug using any of that.

We left them a one thousand dollar donation. Laurie was for laying down five, just to get

them to shut up talking and us out quicker.

I'd praised Minnie for growling at them as we left. That's my girl!

I made the guys stop in at a pet store. I'll admit, I went a little overboard. I got Minnie

everything she could possibly need. Food, blankets, two beds – an argument I wasn't

looking forward to with the boys, but I wanted her close to me – a heap of toys, some

food and water dishes, a pink and white polka dot collar and lead, plenty of dog treats and

a book all about pugs. I had some reading up to do. I also bought her a carry case for in

the car. She'd been a bit jumpy on the ride over; perhaps being in a warm, padded box

would be a little more comforting than the unfamiliar, moving car.

I was on a definite high on the drive home. Even Laurie and the other guys seemed quite

taken with her. They liked her 'spirit.' She was definitely a feisty little thing.

As we got neared to the house, something changed. The atmosphere in the car became

heavy and tense, and I couldn't shake off the bad feeling that was creeping over me.

Something…wasn't right. Laurie and the other guys seemed a little edgy and our driver

was constantly checking the rear view mirror. That was…really odd. These guys had the

art of the 'poker face' down to a tee. Yet I could see it – worry. It _was _there.

67

I didn't get it, the front gate to the house was in sight - we'd be going up the driveway any

second. Minnie seemed to be picking up on the atmosphere as well. She was yapping

constantly from the confines of her little carry case the closer to home we got.

Everything just felt really, really strange.

Were they angry that they had to come with me today to pick her out? That I'd kept them

out so long? They certainly hadn't looked too pleased when I'd reminded them about

going to the pet store to pick out some things for her.

Crap. I didn't want to be an inconvenience for them. That had to be it; they were irritated

at having to babysit me. And I'd been so absorbed in getting Minnie that I hadn't even

noticed. I had been selfishly focussed on getting _my _pup. Perhaps the boys were turning

me into a brat? Maybe Jane _was _right?

I bit my lip, deep in thought.

We were about to pull up to the front gate's intercom when things just went very, very

wrong.

Everything happened so damn fast.

"BREAK HARD LEFT!" Laurie boomed.

The two heavies sat in the back went soaring through the back window so quickly; I

would have missed it were it not for the smashing glass sounding. They'd pulled their

guns and shots were being fired.

That didn't make any sense. This car was supposed to be proofed for…everything. That

glass wasn't supposed to smash, was it?

I felt the breath catch in my throat.

_Oh God_…

"BELLA - DOWN NOW!" Laurie shouted.

Down? Down what? What the hell did down mean?

I couldn't breathe.

The shots were getting louder…closer.

Minnie was really going at it.

I felt confused…scared…panicked.

68

Where were my bo-

The car we were all in suddenly jolted. It was like watching a nuclear explosion. A small

impact followed by a huge…

We want bang. My neck snapped from the impact as we flipped over.

The scream I let out pierced my own ears.

My stomach churned as we soared through the air…once…twice…thrice…

I lost count after that. I felt sick. I think my spleen was trying to make a desperate attempt

at escape.

I still couldn't breathe.

I was retching.

My head felt heavy, like my neck could no longer support it.

Minnie was yelping.

Oh God – Minnie…

Glass shattered.

The metal of the car screeched against the road's surface as we slid…and slid…and slid.

The guns kept firing, some of them now focussed on the car – this car.

I couldn't think. Everything was like slow motion – but not. It was all happening so

quickly. Was this really happening? Was I dreaming?

There was another impact. Right above my head.

Fuck, the metal groaned and creaked in protest - directly above me.

We'd stopped moving.

For some reason, I thought I could hear our tyres still spinning. It was like this really odd

whooshing sound.

Wait… that was loud. That couldn't be the tyres…

A LOUD clatter came from above and something immensely heavy pounded the car.

Which way were we? Up, down, on the side?

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Christ, this was confusing…

Was that a…tree…?

There was a lot of shouting, even more shooting. I felt the breeze of air hit right next to

my foot as it narrowly missed a bullet.

Shit, I wished everything would stop spinning.

"BELLA!"

I could hear something…trickling…

Was that water? It didn't smell like water. It smelt like…

Oh…shit…

"LAURIE YOU GET HER THE FUCK OUT OF THAT CAR OR I'LL TAKE A

SANDBLASTER TO YOUR DAMN NUTS!"

The voices were distant, but closing in fast.

"Bella, can you hear me? You alright sugar?"

Minnie had gone quiet. Why was she quiet? She'd been yapping away not a moment ago.

Was I…was I upside down?

Something was dripping into my eyes, irritating them. But I couldn't move to swipe at

them. I was being held in place…it almost felt like I was being suspended.

I could hear tyres screeching against the paved road…people were screaming…loud

banging noises were ringing out over and over again…definitely much closer now.

And then there was nothing…all was silent and peaceful in the world. But it faded and all

hell broke loose again…and then it faded…and then it came back - again.

Jesus H Christ.

Was I in…or was I out? I couldn't tell. Everything was just…slipping and spinning and

whoozing and…unclear.

The smell that surrounded me was repulsive. It smelt like a really overpowering gas

station in here. I recognised the rusty smell of blood and the tangy, sour smell of vomit. It

made my stomach curl and release, making the vile smells that much more disgustingly

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potent. My nose burned as stomach acid filled and flowed through it, seeking and taking

any exit it could find.

"Stay with me Bee, don't you go anywhere on me. You hear? You stay with me, I'm

gonna get you out."

Laurie. He sounded…desperate…determined…shaken.

More…shots were being fired; they all seemed to be aimed at us. Through the fog in my

brain, I knew that was somehow bad. I needed to move. I _had _to move. But I

just…couldn't. It felt like my brain was half active. It was kind of aware and taking things

in, but not really. And my body, there was just nothing. I felt…hopeless. The only thing I

could think to relate it to was being paralysed. Everyone around you is trying to instruct

you to do things, take action, make a movement, and you listen and listen and listen, and

try so damn hard…but there's zilch. No control. It's been taken away.

"LAURIE, MOVE. YOUR. FUCKING. ASS! I WANT HER OUT OF THERE NOW!"

It sounded like World War III had broken out. How did anyone get on in a warzone? The

noise…my God! It was deafening. And so, so confusing. I felt like I should have been

terrified, something was telling me I _needed _to feel fear, wake up and realise the

seriousness of what was going on. But it was hard to concentrate. There was just so –

much.

There was a lot of yelling, too much to process. I thought I could hear my boys

somewhere amongst it all. For the most part, I could just hear the banging. It was hard to

focus on anything _but _the banging. Some of the voices were foreign – in every sense of

the word. Things were being directed and screamed over the din, small phrases or single

words that were definitely not English. I recognised and understood none of them.

The sound of metal groaning and straining made my ears prick. My instincts were

howling at me – _get out_, _Bella_! _You must get out_!

I still couldn't move. Motor function? Nill.

What the hell was going on?

"ALEC GET OVER HERE!"

Laurie was still here? Why was he still here? He needed to get out, fast. That much I did

know.

"Bella sweetie, you need to wake up. Come on baby girl, get up! Move for me, please?"

Was the floor getting closer? I think I could touch it now…if I could just reach out.

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"…NOW EDWARD! TAKE THEM OUT! NOW!"

"EDWARD!"

"LAURIE, ALEC – WATCH OUT!"

"Oh fuck NO!" Laurie breathed, his voice hitching to a booming level towards the end.

"BELLA!" A frenzy of voices yelled, called out, panicked.

There was a rush of shots. We were under fire, but I got the impression the blasts weren't

necessarily meant for us, just our direction. None seemed to be hitting _our _car.

"…WON'T MAKE IT! GET HER OUT!"

I felt something grab at me. It was rough and uncoordinated. Frantic even. I wanted so

badly to grab back, to hold on…but I couldn't move. Caught in my useless web – again.

The touch was gone as quickly as it came. I found myself yearning for the contact to

come back, to seek solace in it. What I did receive was not what I'd hoped for. Instead of

the reassuring grip I'd felt not seconds ago, I felt myself being battered. Literally.

Something crashed into me at alarming speed. The force of it crushed the confines of the

car even more and knocked the wind from me completely. The left side of me didn't seem

to move much, it just became…squished against whatever was breaking any further

movement from happening. The right side however, totally buckled. I found myself face

to 'face' with a car bonnet. It was barely more than a few inches from my upside down

self. And the engine was still being revved.

I found my eyes locking onto another pair. They were unfamiliar and wicked with their

need to succeed. The grin on the strangers face was malicious as I heard the engine growl

ferociously. They continued to push onwards – towards me.

_Oh God_, they're going to crush me…

I screamed. It was all I could do.

**'**_**L'esperîenza di questa dolce vita.' Translation: 'The experience of this sweet life.'**_

_**Taken from Dante, Canto XX, lines 47-48.**_

Chapter 5

**Stephanie Meyer owns the twilight series. This is however, my plot. So no nicking!**

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**A/N: Here's chapter five in full. Thank you for the reviews and to everybody who**

**has added the story to their alerts/favs.**

**I struggled with this chapter. I couldn't get it right for quite a while and I've now**

**changed what I wanted to happen **_**slightly**_**. As a result, I've completely re -jigged the**

**teaser I put up – so ignore it if you have read it. Yes, the same things **_**still **_**apply –**

**they still fit into the chapter, I have by no means taken them 'out.' They happen - I**

**didn't give you anything that I haven't included. But I've split and separated and**

**even removed (most) parts of the teaser to make it fit better. I started writing the**

**chapter – based on the teaser, got a few thousands words in and just wasn't…feeling**

**it. So deleted the lot and started again. I'm hoping this works out better. I'm really**

**nervous!**

**This chapter's a fair bit shorter than the others. It…had to be… *bites nails***

**Oh, and I've added a link to my profile that'll let you see the fic related pictures – if**

**you're interested.**

_Chapter Five_

_Bella_

If I thought that we were in a warzone before, it was nothing compared to now.

My screaming seemed to ignite a fire. And hell in its truest, most violent form…broke

loose.

Whilst the devil himself was determined to ensnare me, take me away for good, the

counter-devils outside were not about to allow it.

The aftershock of what sounded like every gun in the continental US unloading - was

deafening. The splintering sounds of bullets repeatedly pounding the devil's chauffeured

car of doom hammered down like lethal rain. My name was being bellowed out over and

over again, it was like listening to a war cry, just before the opposing side ran into battle.

Anger hung in the air like a thick blanket, enraging everything it touched. It pulsed and

throbbed and ripped through space. It seemed to _screech _its meaning, loud and piercing -

_not her_.

My heart beat against my chest with a new found aggression. It was almost as if it wanted

to leap from my body and take flight. My breathing spiked wildly, catching in my throat.

Oh God, this was it…

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It had finally caught up with me. Just like I'd always known it would. They couldn't

protect me from everything. They tried oh so hard, but they just…couldn't.

They say that just before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. But I saw nothing

from my past life. Not my mother or father. Not the few friends I'd made in my relatively

short life.

No. I saw my boys, all of them. My true family.

_Edward, Jasper and Emmett staring down at me, with _that _look._

_Emmett stealing the popcorn bowl from Edward and sneaking it to me._

_Jasper dancing around me in the gardens, down by the stream, snapping picture after_

_picture of me as I scowled at him._

_Edward letting me beat him at pool and looking bashful when I called his ass out on it._

_All of us, including Laurie and James, out back playing three-a-side basketball. Laurie_

_lifting me up to slam-dunk the ball through the hoop. My three boys pouting, not because_

_my team were winning, but because they weren't _on _my team._

_Baking with Maggie and slapping away hands as they all tried to pinch the sweet goods._

_Our first Christmas together, everyone wanted to pull their crackers with me. They all_

_held back. By the time they'd all been pulled, I was the proud owner of an assortment of –_

_all the – plastic crap and a bottle opener. Emmett and Jasper weren't satisfied with the_

_jokes, so told their own. Aro had to yell at them to stop being so disgusting at the table –_

_and in front of me._

_Reading in the library, curled up on Edward's lap, in my favourite chair._

_Watching them buckle with laughter when I stabbed my finger at a random car picture_

_and said 'that one' without checking it first - I'd been too irritated by their obsessive_

_nagging. They'd been hounding me for weeks about buying me a car. I didn't want them_

_to spend all of that money on me. I finally snapped when Edward threatened to buy me a_

_Ferrari. The next day, there was a brand new 2007 Cadillac Escalade sat in the_

_driveway. It was like looking at the original pimp daddy of all cars. I cringed when I_

_realised it was mine – what I had 'picked.' I grew to love it. And they still cracked up_

_watching me drive it._

_Watching movies in the den, surrounded by my boys. Well, one movie. They painstakingly_

_sat through re-runs of An Officer and a Gentleman knowing it was my favourite._

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_Jasper trying to convince me to eat something other than mushroom risotto when I went_

_through a week long craving for it. I gave in to his pleading eventually. I switched to_

_mushroom pizza and ignored his scowling._

_Watching Emmett's proud grin when I finally let go and karate kicked him during a selfdefence_

_lesson. I hadn't wanted to 'hurt' him. Then having him fuss over me when he_

_realised I'd practically broken my damn foot in the process. Him and his abnormally _rock

fucking hard _stomach…_

_Blushing and embarrassed when Edward asked me if I wanted to go for a swim in the_

_indoor pool, then having to admit that I'd never learnt. I was swimming like a pro within_

_a week._

_Jasper plaiting my hair on the veranda this summer as I watched the sun setting._

_Arguing with Laurie when he sent me five boxes worth of 'gifts' from wherever it was_

_they'd sent him. Sneaky git. He knew I couldn't send the lot right back and get him a_

_refund._

_Being cuddled into Emmett as the fireworks went off at New Years. They'd gone all out on_

_the display and it was stunning - but loud. Maggie had made me toffee apples to eat._

_Watching everybody's face light up whenever I walked into the kitchen and found them all_

_gathered there._

_Aro popping the cork of the expensive champagne he'd bought in celebration of me_

_passing my open study courses._

_James teaching me funny slang words and sayings from gangster movies, joking with me_

_about making me 'fit right in.'_

It all went through my mind. Every sacred moment I'd shared with them. Over a years

worth of recollections, that sped through my mind within seconds. It was like flipping

through one of those funny animated cartoon books, where page by page the character

moved a little.

And it was all slipping from my grasp. I wouldn't be making anymore memories with

them. I was being taken away.

I found my heart tearing in places I didn't realise it could. It was horrible. Far worse than

any physical pain. I had to say goodbye to my boys. I was leaving them behind.

My screaming quelled, only to be replaced with gut wrenching sobs. I didn't want to

leave. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. But what could I do? I was trapped - suspended and

helpless.

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Helpless. There's that word again. It paired perfectly with other words like pathetic, and

weak, and useless. I was like a sack of potatoes. They'd kept me around thinking I was

their nourishment. But really, there were better sources of sustenance out there - that I

had always known. That' s what I boiled down to in the end, this end – a potato.

What a sad, miserable, little excuse for a being I was. They were still all out there,

fighting, determined, not giving up, screaming out for me. And what was I doing? I was

waiting. Waiting for the final nail in my mangled, metal coffin to hit.

The wait wasn't a long one.

The beast's engine revved uncontrollably and lurched…right at me, only seconds after the

first impact.

A chorus of 'BELLA' and 'NOOOO' rang out, followed by more gunshots.

A massive bonnet covered in large, black bull bars slammed into me, mashing into my

side. I heard the crack, crack, crack – but tried not to focus on it too much, not wanting to

know how many bones had just been compromised. My head slammed into the opposite

side of the SUV and the pain, my God the pain. It was like a cocktailed inferno, ranging

from my toes right up to the roots of my hair. I couldn't breathe. I felt like my lungs had

just been smashed with a mallet. I wanted to scream out, but it felt as though my entire

body had been squeezed of oxygen, rung out and left dry.

And yet, the only real thing I could focus on was one horrible, haunting thought…

I hadn't even said goodbye to them today.

Things became…unclear. I wasn't really sure if I was in or out. Eve rything went from

light to dark to back to light in a rapid, flickering succession.

I thought I could hear a faint yapping that I knew I recognized, but couldn't make sense

of. I heard glass crushing and tires squeaking against the road surface. There were dull,

thudding noises and desperate shouts…pleas. More shots, closer this time. Something

whooshed and…

"…PIECE OF SHIT!"

Desperate, angry, fierce…distressed. Near?

I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head, a strangled gasp leaving my lips.

Couldn't breathe.

Head pounding.

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Dizzy.

Disorientated.

Pain.

"Bella! Bella wake up baby! You have to wake up!"

"FUCKER!" Somebody screamed. The sound made me want to cringe. So much raw

fury. Grunting…groaning…shrieking. Soon followed by what sounded like a meat

cleaver being pounded into flesh – dull and thumping and…splattering?

My stomach lurched again. The gagging made my side howl out to stop, to not move.

The hell beast snarled to life again, revving its wrath in my direction.

I wasn't sure I could take anymore. No, no more. I'm begging…

The pain.

But the force I was bracing for didn't come. The hell beast's rage backed away - away

from me. And there was light. A lot of light. Bathing me. Blinding me.

"Bella!"

"…LAURIE!"

"BELLA!"

Hands. Lots of hands. Frantic hands.

Hands that needed to stop, they hurt.

The pain.

"No Bella, no. Please!"

Sobbing?

"NEED SOME HELP IN HERE!"

"No hold her head! Alec get the belt off!"

"You good to catch her?"

"Yeah, just fucking do it!"

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"Em, I'm not sure. Should we be moving her? She looks…"

"FUCK YOU! Alec – belt now."

Whatever had been keeping me suspended before snapped and was suddenly gone. I felt

like my entire body fell away from me, like whatever it was that had been keeping me

together was gone…and I was in pieces.

Strong arms caught me as I fell and wrapped around me.

This time, I did scream. Not a small whimper, not a whispered cry, not a rumbled howl.

No, I _screamed_. A glass shattering, ear bleeding, dogs-wouldn't-even-be-able-to-hear-thepitch

scream.

Pain like you wouldn't believe ripped through my side. It scratched and clawed and dug

in, shredding me. That's exactly how I felt. Like my insides – bones and all – had been

forced through a paper shredder.

"I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA TO MOVE HER! FUCKING HELL!"

"FUCK YOU; WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSED TO DO – LEAVE HER? GET TO

FUCK! JASPER GET IN HERE!"

Right then, in that moment, I found myself wishing the car had pushed harder – killing

me instantly. For all the hurt it caused to think of not being here with my boys, I wasn't

sure I could handle how this felt.

And it all seemed oddly familiar. Like I had been here before, but not.

"Just like Sully," somebody whispered.

The arms holding me tightened, leaving me gasping and choking. It was agony. "This is

nothing like Sully," ano ther hissed.

"Bella's going to make it. She has to make it." Someone else whispered.

Sully. That was it. That was why this was somewhat familiar. Sully had been out driving

with a few of Aro's men. Just like I had been. Only, the car she was in…exploded.

Somebody had fixed the car, attached a charge underneath it. They could only identify

Sully was one of the…lost, from the hand that they found – with her engraved wedding

band still closed around her finger. The only finger to remain on the hand. They didn't

know that I knew that. James told me. Swore me to secrecy.

Had the attackers meant for me to become another Sully?

78

The thought was sickening, and numbing. It chased away physical pain and left a

headache of uncertainty.

"_Oh God_," someone else murmured, horrified. "We need to get her up to the house, now."

Something else was pulling at my mind, something that felt…related.

"Jasper! We gotta get her moved bro!"

Pull, pull, pull. Nag, nag, nag. What the fuck was I trying to remember?

"EM?"

"WHAT? FUCKING BUSY HERE!"

"EDWARD SAYS YOU GOTTA GO GET THE HUMMER AND SOME CHAINS,

SHIT NEEDS MOVED!"

"YEAH – I'LL GET RIGHT FUCKING ON THAT! DICK! YOU THINK YOU COULD

MAYBE REMIND HIM WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON IN HERE? JESUS!"

"Em, she's gonna shock. We gotta get her moved. Her lips, Em. Fuck!"

"No shit! JASPER!"

"Jasper's still covering. A few assholes are still firing."

"EM?"

"_FUCKING WHAT_?"

"EDWARD SAYS YOU'RE A 'FUCKING TOOL.'"

The dog. Edward didn't want me to get the dog…

"I'm here; I'm he-"

A sharp intake of breath.

"No!"

"Jaz?"

Silence.

"Jasper?"

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More silence.

Things outside were quiet as well. Was it over?

Edward _didn't _want me to get the dog – it meant something…

"JASPER!"

"Dude, you gotta snap out of it. Yeah, it's bad. Yeah, we all wanna fucking kill 'em. But

she needs up to the house, now Jasper!"

"Bella?" It was choked.

…Tried to manipulate me, tried to convince me _not _to get the dog…

"Here, Jaz you gotta get her up, I'll go get the hummer. Laurie, go with him. Alec, go

help Edward. Felix…go…smash something."

I was being jostled, handed over. To who? Who was holding me?

Oh my God, who was holding me? Who was _touching _me?

I flipped. The pain and the numbness forgotten. I was being touched. No touching. Hands

off. No touching.

Scream, kick out, arch back, ignore pain, slap, bite, ignore pain.

Get. _Off_.

"Bella, no baby it's me. It's just me, you're ok Bella!"

Get off me; get off, stop touching me. Mitts off! Hands the _fuck _off!

"Bella you need to calm down baby girl. It's just Jasper, Bella. FUCK Jaz, seriously?

What, you really think 'me' clears everything the fuck up? Use your fucking head

already!"

Jasper?

It was Jasper?

Didn't feel like Jasper…

Was it a trick?

"Fuck you Em; I thought she'd recognise my voice!"

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"SHE'S JUST BEEN POUNDED BY A FUCKING SUV – I DON'T THINK SHE'S

RECOGNISING SHIT RIGHT NOW JACKASS!"

"SHUT UP THE PAIR OF YOU!"

Laurie?

"Look, I know you're both fucking scared shitless right now – we all are. We _all _just

nearly fucking lost her. But neither of you are fucking helping! Jasper, get her up to the

house."

My head was rolling about as I tried to get up, get away. _Ignore the pain_…

"Shhh, baby it's me – it's Jasper. We're gonna get you up to the house darlin', but you

gotta stop fighting me."

It…sounded like Jasper. But he felt all wrong. Smelt wrong too.

With shaking hands, I felt over his face. He kissed them both.

It was Jasper. Still smelt all wrong though. I didn't like it.

"Jasper?" I croaked, my head lolling backwards into what I presumed to be his shoulder.

A cracked breath escaped him, "yeah precious, it's me. We're gonna get you all better,

alright? You just stay with me."

"EDWARD? WE CLEAR TO MOVE?"

Emmett?

My eyes opened, I couldn't even remember closing them. Everything was blurry. But he

was there. My jasper _was _there, staring down at me.

I wished I'd kept my damn eyes closed.

His face was tear streaked, his own eyes haunted as he looked at me, looking broken.

Looking like I was about to leave him.

"No, Jasp…r…don- " I slurred.

I didn't want him to hurt. I needed to tell him not to hurt. I couldn't have my Jasper

hurting, not over me.

"CLEAR!" A booming voice rang out.

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"Let's go."

I was moving, or more accurately, I was floating. It wasn't a…pleasant sensation. A bit

like that feeling you have when you're blind drunk and everything is spinning and

uncomfortable, you're too hot and sweating and you're desperately trying to not throw up.

More hands were on me once again as we climbed from the confines of the metal heap. I

fought the panic that was rising from the unwelcomed touches. Jasper had me. Jasper said

he'd make me all better. Jasper would put things right. He wouldn't let them lay a finger

on me if they meant any harm.

The light hurt my eyes and I have to say, I was glad. The scene in front of me would have

tipped me over the edge had I have been seeing things clearly, I was sure of it. From what

I could make out, there was red – a lot of red. There were shapes of varying sizes

sprawled along the road, like boulders thrown from a storm. Some were close, some

further away. It looked like there were several pyres of brightly lit fire smoking towards

the heavens. Tall, black, whispery shapes stood as tall shadows, like angels of death.

There were a lot of them. Many stood next to the boulders. Larger, darker shapes were

scattered all over the place sporadically, abandoned in a hurry it would seem.

My eyes made contact with one of the figures. I recognised them. Their eyes, blue and

usually so filled with kindness. Now turned to cold, blue steel.

Aro.

I'd never seen him look so…there weren't words. Angry didn't seem to fit. Murderous?

Yes, murderous was probably more accurate.

One of the dark angels glided towards me, a mess of reddish-brown haloing its top,

contrasting against the deep, midnight black.

Edward.

"How's she doi-"

BANG…

What the…

I gasped.

The figures all turned suddenly, crouching down as the air was filled, once again, with

the sounds of weapons unloading. Jasper sunk low quickly, the air whooshed around me

and my hair fanned as the wind caught it. It was like being in the middle of a paintball

field, with the repetitive pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop-pop noises filling my

ears.

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I felt my eyes swim in their sockets.

"HE'S DOWN!" Someone bellowed from nearby.

"EVERYONE ALRIGHT?" Edward.

A choir of 'good this side' and 'fine this end' rang out, loud and clear as the air around us

settled, like a fog dissipating into clear mist.

"J…ja…jas…p….jasp….er," I grabbed onto his jacket, pulling with what strength I had.

His head snapped to me, my blurred vision _just _being able to make him out.

His eyes frantically tore over me; his head began to shake back and forth rapidly.

Watching the motion made me feel lightheaded...dizzy…sick.

"No…" He whispered, his eyes wide.

With trembling hands, he reached towards my shoulder. When he brought them back

towards his face, the same red that was painting the road's surface…trickled from his

fingers.

"NO!"

"Jasper? What? What is it?" Emmett barked.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He grabbed me, pulling me into him, rocking me. His voice cracked

and his fingers found purchase in my hair, gripping it. "NO! PLEASE NO!"

My hands crumbled against his stiff form, my body completely limp.

"Jasper?"

Edward's shadowy self was next to us, prizing Jasper's fingers from me. But he wasn't for

letting go.

"No!" He choked. "Not her, never her…"

"Jasper let her go. LET HER GO JASPER!"

There was a struggle. Stuttered cries and ragged breaths permeated my airspace. I didn't

know who they belonged to. Jasper…Edward…me? But I soon found myself slumping

towards the earth; two hands caught my head and set me down as gently as they could.

My head touched solid ground and everything was quiet. Deathly quite. All you could

hear was the inhale and exhale of breaths being taken.

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The snap came, and things went…insane.

"NOOO!" Emmett boomed, at them same time as Edward whispered, "oh God."

Bedlam. It turned into bedlam.

People started rushing around, there was a lot of yelling all of a sudden, orders being

screamed out, I felt like there were a hundred pairs of hands on me.

"I WANT THIS MESS CLEARED UP – NOW. MOVE! MORI'S GO TO THE DOC

BUILDING, BURN THE REST! FELIX? GO FETCH THE HUMMER – SMASH

YOUR WAY THROUGH, NO TIME TO CLEAR IT. AND WILL SOMEONE CATCH

THAT FUCKING DOG ALREADY!"

"No! Bella! Bella please!"

Something pounded my chest, once, twice…

I had the urge to slap it away. I felt…exhausted, like I hadn't slept in forever. And all I

wanted to do was close my…

"BELLA YOU STAY WITH US! YOU HEAR? YOU STAY! DON'T YOU FUCKING

LEAVE US! DON'T YOU DARE CLOSE YOUR DAMN EYES!"

Chaos. Absolute chaos. All around. I wanted peace. I wanted quiet. I just wanted sleep.

"Call Peter. Make sure he can meet us there."

They were leaving? Where were they going?

"BELLA! EYES OPEN!"

I was cold. Like, body shuddering, teeth chattering, lips turning blue, cold.

"Did it go all the way through?"

I felt something rip against my skin, jerking my body. My side felt like it was splitting all

over again. My arm felt different. Numb.

"Tear her sleeve; we need to stop the bleeding."

Another rip.

"Clean shot, all the way through."

There was a tugging. And a fastening. And pressure. A lot of pressure.

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"Tighter, Jaz."

"WHERE'S FELIX FOR FUCK SAKE? EYES OPEN BELLA!"

"Edward, she's fucking cold man…"

"I NEED COATS AND JACKETS - NOW!"

"Edward…"

I could feel my breathing slowing down, preparing me for a nice, long sleep. Just what I

wanted. Just a few minutes of shut eye…

My body shook violently as hands gripped and snapped me about, the way you do with

plastic carrier bags when trying to open them. "BELLA LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME

DAMMIT!"

Things fell on top of me; I was being bundled, loaded down with things…

"Emmett you drive. ARO? PETER SET TO MEET US THERE?"

"HE'S ON THE PHONE NOW, JUST GOT IN HIS CAR… WHAT'S THE DAMAGE

TO HER SIDE?"

"SHE GOT CRUSHED BY A FUCKING CAR – I'M GONNA TAKE A _REALLY _WILD

GUESS AND SAY PRETTY FUCKING BAD!"

"WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE FIND OUT WHERE THE FUCK FELIX IS?"

"BELLA OPEN YOUR EYES!"

I'm trying…

"BELLA?"

My lids felt like they had weights attached to them…

"BELLA!"

"NO BELLA! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

I couldn't. So heavy. So sleepy…

Tires screeched. There was a loud noise, like metal and glass colliding with each other.

"Jasper get her up, we gotta go. Bella, you with us baby girl?"

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My mind suddenly started playing a pre-recorded message, as if it had become an answer

machine service or something…

_Bella isn't here right now. Leave your name and message and she'll get back to you later._

_Beep_…

Because the truth was – I wasn't there. I was somewhere above. I'd become a casual

observer, seeing everything as though out of my own body. It was…strange. And clear.

I saw Emmett running to the driver's side of the car just as Felix opened the door and

jumped out at a speed I wouldn't have believed to have been humanly possible. He asked

if I was ok. Edward gave him a snarky response as he threw open one of the side doors. I

was being cradled in Jaspers arms. I looked…broken. Like, really, physically broken. He

was crying, sobbing, begging me to open my eyes, wake up…look at him. It tore at my

heart. Edward was barking orders to Aro, who had rushed over and was looking at me

with fear in his eyes. I wanted to comfort him. Tell him it was ok. But it wasn't possible.

He nodded to something Edward said. Emmett yelled from the driver's seat. Something

about us needing to move – now. Edward hopped in next to Jasper and Aro slammed the

car door shut. We sped off.

Edward was asking Jasper if I was warming up. Jasper couldn't speak, didn't move his

eyes from my face. I was white. My lips blue. He just shook his head, holding me to him

tighter. Edward shrugged out of his shirt, asking Emmett if there was a spare in the car.

He reached into the far back and retrieved something. A bag. He tore into it, his hands

ripping out some grey fabric. He put it on.

"Bella, please look at me," Jasper begged.

"How we doing back there?" Emmett called.

"Em, you gotta go faster, she's slipping…" Edward was bouncing on his seat, looking

pained. "And turn up the heat."

It was just all so…surreal. Oddly, I wasn't bemused by the situation. Sure, it wasn't an

everyday occurrence. But I'd gotten used to this kind of life. I'd always suspected bad

things would happen to me. I think in some ways, I was just damned. What bewildered

me was…them. My boys. All panicked and hurting and upset. Over me. Sad little me. All

in such a state to save me.

"Edward…the car. What happened? How was that possible? It was one of ours…" Jasper

trailed off.

"Someone fucked with it, switched it." Emmett growled.

"But how?" Jasper whispered, defeated.

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Edward looked at me, like he was trying to find all of life's answers just by staring at my

face. "We gotta rat."

Jasper's head snapped to Edwards, suddenly fierce. "Who?"

Edward shook his head, "I don't know Jaz. But one thing's for sure…"

"…they don't have long left," Emmett finished for him, his tone dark…menacing.

"The Russians? Mori's guys?"

Edward's jaw flexed, hardened. He was staring at my shoulder when he spoke. "They _all_

die."

"Dibs on Stefan," Emmett snarled.

I shuddered. And not from the cold.

A chime broke through the tension in the car, and Edward flipped his phone open.

"Peter's waiting."

The car sped up. I had no doubt we were breaking every speeding violation there was, not

that it ever mattered. My boys, this family – they were untouchables. Edward had 'lost'

his license seven separate times since I'd been with them. It was laughable. They stopped

taking anyone in this family to court eventually, the judges always ended up going

missing…

I began to pay attention to my limp, lifeless form as Jasper clutched onto it. It wasn't a

pretty site. I was positive that I didn't look as bad as I had when they found me, from a

blood perspective anyways, but I was certainly in a worse state of repair. My body felt as

mangled as the car I'd been rescued from.

The car screeched to a stop and things went at ninety miles an hour. I found that I was no

longer looking on from above - I was back inside my body. And it was torture.

There was yelling and the sound of a…trolley being wheeled about quickly. The car

doors opened and shut, and Jasper ran with me in his arms.

"What happened?" Someone demanded.

"Car accident, hit her straight on. Her right side…"

"What about the shout wound?"

"...maybe twenty minutes ago….straight through."

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I was moving.

Lights flashed and blurred above me, hurting my eyes. I came to a little, and panicked. I

recognized no one.

"Jasp…Jasper?" I gasped, trying and failing to lift my deadened arm up to reach out for

him.

"He's right here Bella. It's Peter sweetie, can you tell me how you're feeling?"

Moving so fast…so bright…can't breathe…

Something prodded my side.

"One rib, two rib…three broken on her right side!"

"BP's at…"

"Heart rate increasing…"

"Where's the damn oxygen at?"

"I need those scissors!"

"…swelling…"

"Schedule an x-ray and a CT – NOW! …I don't care! Kick them out!"

"Lips are blue…no, ribs wouldn't cause…fuck!"

Something cold touched down on my chest, moving every few seconds…

There was no noise other than the sounds of feet running and the trolley wheels spinning.

"Shit. Schedule surgery!"

"What's happening?"

"Surgery?"

"…ribs…punctured her lung…sounds…collapsing. Get that wound wrapped quickly!"

"..be aright?"

"…can't come in here…be out…soon as I know…"

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"BELLA!"

"_Oh God_…"

As the madness continued, I found myself thinking only one thing…

Can I sleep now?

**Hope you liked it...**

**I'm sorry for the wait, I HOPE it was worth it. I'm not sure how I feel about the**

**chapter, it took so long for me to get on the right tracks with it that I'm actually a**

**little bit worried!**

**Let me know your thoughts. Next chapter - Edward. And he's...not happy.**

Chapter 6

**I own nothing. Meyer's a lucky woman!**

**A/N: Apologies for the wait – I've had three exams these past couple of weeks and**

**have even more to do this week! No fun. A huge thank you to those who have**

**reviewed and added the story to their favs/alerts!**

**Here's chapter six, really hope you enjoy!**

_Chapter Six_

_Edward_

We waited…and waited…and waited.

I was racking up a tally of nurses I'd scared off. Currently on five.

But fucking seriously? '_You can't smoke in here_.' What kind of bullshit rule is that? It's a

Goddamn hospital. It's the one place on earth where you can walk through the doors and

pretty much guarantee you ain't walking back outta them without hearing the words

cancer, cancer, cancer or 'oh, he died earlier this morning. Sorry'

_Everyone _in here wants to fucking smoke! No scratch that – _needs _to smoke. They should

put cigarette machines in the damn lobby and charge extra – they'd say a quick goodbye

to being so denotation reliant.

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Idiots.

I'd also managed to successfully scare off/piss off everyone else who had been in the

same waiting room as us. Fucking right! Get out my waiting room.

"I'm just saying it wasn't absolutely necessary, Edward," Jasper tried to reason with me.

He could quite frankly, take his reason - and _shove it _up his urethra.

"Shouldn't have been giving me the stink eye then, should he?" I snapped, lighting

another smoke and inhaling deeply.

I'd like to think of myself as a non-smoker. Though if I'm being honest, I'm probably

what you'd call a stressful smoker. I only ever do it when I'm going ape-shit – which I

do…a lot. So realistically, I'm more a 'full time' smoker, but by the powers of mood

elimination, it pretty much brings me down to 'occasional.'

Denial's my best friend. We get along very well.

"Edward, you were blowing smoke all over him!"

"Well he shouldn't have fucking told me I shouldn't smoke then, should he?" Whose

fucking side was he on?

Jesus!

"He was five years old Edward! He only said that his 'mommy said it was bad for you.'"

Jasper aircommared.

I hated when people did that. Retarded. Bella always did that. I always let it slide – it was

Bella. She kinda looked cute when she got all pissed and flustered and did it.

"Nosy little shit should learn to keep his damn nose out." I shot back.

"Well I'm sure he's learnt now! Fucking hell Edward, the kids probably gonna have

nightmares for weeks!"

"Good," I grumbled. _Teach him a fucking lesson_…

"Good? Good? Edward, whilst I'm sure we're now all _well aware _that kids aren't exactly

your forte, flashing your gun at a five year old and telling him to 'shut the fuck up – or

else' – not _generally _seen as being socially acceptable."

I snorted at that. It should be. Who said discipline's dead? You just gotta get creative,

that's they _key _to it. Kid shut the he ll up right away…if you overlook the retching noises

he made. In my defence though – talk about a weak fucking stomach!

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I should right a book: _Parenting with Guns 101_.

Think there could be money there…

"Oh yeah, and Eddie man? Most kids under the age of eight _at least _– still believe in

Santa. So like, keep your fucking mouth shut in future, yeah? That was a lot of fucking

screaming, my head's killing…" Emmett chimed in.

WHY DON'T PEOPLE TELL ME THESE THINGS?

Seriously, why's everything gotta be so PC nowadays? You don't know what you can say,

you don't know what you can't say, you can't use your gun for gentle acts of persuasion…

_Fucking hell_!

Parents are breeding a new generation – and I gotta say, they're a bunch of weaklings.

Kinda feel sorry for the little saps, none of 'em have a chance when you really think about

it.

"What's taking so long? It shouldn't be taking this long!" I began my pacing again,

flicking ash onto the carpet. Bitch nurses could suck my dick after the day I've had.

"Peter said her lung had collapsed, they've had to surgically insert a tube to get all of the

excess air out. A traumatic…pneumotho…something, I think he called it. Car crushed

her, breaking he ribs. One of the ribs punctured her lung and it all went to shit. They

needed to stitch up her shoulder as well, give her some blood too." Jasper rubbed his

hands over his face roughly.

I winced. I didn't need fucking reminding - my blood pressure was already at boiling

point. "No shit Jaz, a car crushed her? Well blow me the fuck away!" I snapped

sarcastically, flicking my cigarette butt at him. Like I didn't fucking know that! Did I look

like a dumbshit? "Still shouldn't be taking this long…"

"What, you have a secret medical degree we don't know about or something? How

fucking long should it be taking, Edward?"

Fucking _what_?

I was about to fire something back at the prick when I looked at him. Really looked at

him. He looked like shit. So did Em. I guess I probably did too. If the three of us walked

away from this without looking like we'd aged ten years, I'd be amazed

I was seriously trying hard not to think about it. I was tearing my hair out. Baby girl was

hurt. Someone hurt baby girl. Our Bella – someone had nearly taken our girl away. As far

as I was concerned, the whole world needed to die. I say whole because, really, it would

just be more thorough. We wouldn't have to worry about this kinda shit happening ever

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again. Emmett told me that was a little much. We'd agreed to disagree. Though, he hadn't

stopped me from punching two doctors and threatening to stab three others. So I was

beginning to think he was coming round to the idea.

We did all manage to smile for the first time today when one of the punch-ees turned out

to be a plastic surgeon. I basked in the irony of him now needing to schedule

reconstructive surgery – for himself. Fucking prick. Asking me if I'd be interested in 'just

making a slight alteration.' Can you believe that shit? My nose is perfect, fuck you very

much.

Emmett and Jasper nearly pissed their big girl pant ies laughing. Assholes.

I hope that dick needs his damn jaw wired shut.

My phone vibrated – again. Swear to Christ, I was for fucking smashing it. I just wanted

to be left alone. I was too worried about Bella, I couldn't think about anything else right

now.

"Cullen," I growled.

"Any news?" Aro asked anxiously.

He'd been calling every twenty minutes or so. I felt for him, I really did. Bella was a

daughter to him. He was…fucked the hell off, to put it mildly. I pitied the guys left

behind with him. Alec had already messaged me to say Aro had flipped out at Johnny,

one of the men who looked after the garages, and ergo – the cars. Suffice to say, Johnny

wouldn't be doing anymore work for us, or anyone for that matter. Bludgeoned to death

with the specialist socket wrench we used on our detailed Range Rovers, one of the four

armoured Range Rovers Bella had been in today.

Gotta hand it to the boss- man, it was kind of poetic.

"No, she's still in," I sighed.

"Still?" He huffed, the nervousness overlapping the obvious irritation in his voice.

"Why's it taking so long?"

Good question. Why _was _it taking so long?

I could picture him on the other end of the phone, stalking angrily from one end of the

room to the other, rubbing his fingers across his forehead as he scrunched his eyes up and

tried to calm his breathing.

Aro rarely got…het up. He had the most chilling demeanour I'd ever come across. So

calm and collected - normally. Jaz could be a little like it at times. It was in the way they

spoke. Their feelings…rarely betrayed them, they didn't showcase. We could find a rotten

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apple in the barrel, and yet even in a meeting, said piece of fruit would never know they

were barrel deep in cack until the gun was aiming straight at them. Aro would be his

usual, pleasantly calm, welcoming self. And then he'd give the nod – the signal. And the

fruit was sentenced to become grape mulch…having picked up on nothing during the

friendly, scotch filled get-together.

This was always the case.

Unless Bella was involved.

Then the true colours came out. The real monster surfaced - and it was scary shit. James

had received a vicious verbal lashing earlier today that even made _me _cringe slightly. I

didn't know the 'why' behind it; I'd picked up on something about him being an

'unobservant, insensitive fuck.' Aro didn't even give him a first warning. He went straight

for the jugular and gave James an 'it never happens again.'

Translation: it does, and you'll be stuffed into a drum of formaldehyde…alive.

Aro didn't dick about when it came to baby girl. There were no first warnings, followed

by a final one. One chance – that's all you got, depending on the crime. He knew loss.

Knew it all too well. He didn't take chances anymore.

Bella had this effect on all of us. This…need to protect her overtook fucking _everything_.

It blinded us completely.

None of us had been prepared for Bella. After Sully, we were all…deadened. Jaz,

Emmett and I had all sworn to never fall. Never allow a chink in the armour. The thought

of what happened to Aro when he lost Sully terrorized us. We couldn't afford a weakness.

But those doors opened, and those frightened, doe eyes captured us. And we were _fucked_.

I'd spoken of my fears to Aro all those months ago. He'd just smiled.

"Let it happen, Edward," he'd said. "Sully's…fate, is one I wish with every ounce of my

being I could change. But it happened. Would I trade a single moment I had with her?

Absolutely not. The grief…racks a person. But that woman owned me – mind, body and

soul. And having her Edward, I swear, she kept me human. This is a cruel life, a violent

one. It's easy to find yourself detaching. And whilst that's great for the kill, when you

start to care about nothing _at all_, that's when you loose yourself. Being a mobster doesn't

mean you have to be a monster, not in every aspect of life. The Russian's? They're

monsters in the truest form. They care for nothing but themselves. They're grounded by

nothing. They think that it's a strength – it isn't. It's a huge weakness. At the end of the

day, what are any of them fighting to come home to, except an empty house?"

And he was right.

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So we let Bella happen. And with that, we made a vow, a pact. We would always protect

her. Nothing would ever harm her. We weren't the only one's to make it. Every one of our

guys when sworn in - took on Bella. There isn't a person in the family who hasn't been

touched by her in some way.

Well, Jane would be an exception. Stupid bitch.

As a mob family, the Russians were reckless. They didn't really think things through,

they just jumped straight in. Of course they did. They had nothing tying them to this

world except for their greed. So far, their self-preservation had kept them alive. But their

numbers had dwindled _far _more than ours. Christ, looking back, Jasper, Emmett and I

threw ourselves into fights with cocky abandon thinking we were too good to ever die.

That might be true. But now? Now we were practically invincible. And Bella did that. No

way on God's green earth would any of us be willing to die knowing she was at home,

waiting for us. There's no way in fucking hell we'd ever _leave _her.

Aro was insanely good at his chosen way of life – this life. He was going to be

celebrating his fifty-sixth Birthday in a couple of weeks – pretty old for a mob boss. For

the most part, none of them saw past their fortieth. They'd be hit, or betrayed or simply

keel over from the stress that consumes them. Some even knocked themselves off when

things became too much. But not Aro. He'd seen it all, done it all and survived it all. And

we who knew him well, knew that was down to Sully, and later, Bella. He didn't stay

alive to roll in his green, or bask in his victories. No. He stayed alive because he had

people in his life worth staying alive for.

And that's why we were the best. No doubt about it. As a family, we were pretty much

untouched. Sure, having Bella around may be seen as a chink – a way to really get to us.

And that was true. But in a greater sense, she was our best asset, our most valued survival

tool. She kept us _going_. If the Russians thought that fucking with her was going to

incense us, then they were right. But if they thought our retaliation would be hasty and ill

thought out, they were the densest pricks to ever breathe. Did we want to go out and

unleash hell? Of course. Would we? Not wit hout planning and strategising first. Being

spontaneous – that's buying a bright green car just 'because', not taking on a rival mob

family.

It was fucking hard to stay controlled, let me tell you. I had a fucking temper.

The fact that she had been hurt didn't sit well with any of us. We'd let that happen –

perhaps not directly, but the fault lay with us. We hadn't protected her well enough. We'd

been sloppy, too trusting. And look where it got us – got her…

It would _not _happen again.

I sighed. "I don't kno w," I admitted to Aro quietly. "They're taking too long…"

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I hated feeling like this. There was no control. My usual black and white way of seeing

things became shrouded in grey - a big, fat question mark hovering over the space. It was

unwelcome…and uncomfortable.

"No doubt they're just trying to be thorough," Aro tried to placate me.

Didn't work.

They _were _taking too fucking long. I wanted to see baby girl. See her, check she was safe

and sleeping, and get home to play with my gun a little. I wanted the rat. I wouldn't stop

till I had them. But there was no way I was leaving this place until I knew Bella was

alright. I _had _to see her.

"I'm going insane," I confessed, running a hand through my hair roughly and pulling on

it. "I won't leave her Aro, but fuck! I need to just fucking…kill something! What was the

body count?"

"Seventeen on their side, we lost two. Twelve were Mori's; the Russians are using them

as nothing but pawns. It was a Goddamn suicide mission, they only had three cars. Felix

loaded up." He explained. I was sure he'd already been through this with me, but it was so

damn hard to focus on anything right now. The memories of watching that car pound into

Bella, and the silence that followed before her screams…

I clenched my jaw. Someone needed to die – painfully.

If Felix had loaded up, that meant he'd taken Mori's men to a dock container. We'd load

said container onto the ship we planned on intercepting tomorrow night and send it right

the fuck back to Japan. It was their warning. They were dealing on our soil. Behind our

backs. Un-fucking-acceptable.

If Laurie's information was correct, the shipment had an ass- fuck load of cars coming our

way, definitely a few million to net. Bella was gonna get first pick if there was a sports

car she wanted, I'd see to it. She loved her Escalade, but she needed something lighter,

more fun. It could be her welcome home present. I'd have to get a big, red ribbon…

The timing of the 'accident' wasn't ideal. We'd need some heavy man-power at the docks

tomorrow, the Russians were gonna put up a fight, and Mori wasn't gonna let us get away

with his cargo easily. Bets were on for an army load of infants wielding guns coming our

way off that ship. Aro needed Jasper, Emmett and I there especially. Laurie, Alec and

James too. The six of us alone could probably take them down with enough ease,

providing we had a little back-up bullet power behind us. It would be the quickest way,

an easy win. The six of us were made for this life, we were the best. And we needed the

best if we wanted this to be as unproblematic as possible.

But with the shit that went down today, there'd have to be a change in the plans. One of

us _at least _was now gonna have to stay here with Bel95

My body stilled completely - a stark contrast to the whizzing laps my mind was now

doing. I felt my mouth go dry.

…Stay with Bella…in the hospital…where they put her…the night before the shipment's

due in…the shipment we're going after…the shipment they know they'll loose to us…if

_they _know that _we _know about it…which they shouldn't know…

The rat.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" I booted the coffee table, sending it splintering into the side wall.

"Edward, what? What's happened? Is Bella alright?" Aro began frantically.

Em and Jaz had shot up, Emmett's hand instantly whipped behind him to the waistband of

his pants, trigger finger flexing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and began to pace. "They're fucking dead, they _all _die!" I

seethed.

"Edward?" Aro.

"What the hell, Edward?" Jasper.

"Who we killing?" Emmett.

I shot Emmett an 'are you fucking serious?' look.

I was clawing at my hair, "Mori's weren't the pawns," I breathed heavily. "Bella was."

Bastards. The ballsy little cunts. Did they not realise the shit storm they just created?

Dead men fucking walking!

"Edward…what are you…" Aro trailed off.

I needed to smash something.

My Bella. _Our _fucking Bella. Sick fucks!

"Are we sharing, like, to-fucking-day Edward?" Emmett griped.

_Think Cullen_, _think_. _Use your brain_!

"Aro, send over five. Paul's lot have been with us the longest, they're trusted. Two outside

Bella's room, two posted at the ward's entrance. One stays outside in the car. They don't

leave. I'll be there as soon as I can, everyone in the kitchen when I get back." I ended the

call and stuffed my cell into my pocket.

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"You're leaving?" Emmett asked incredulously.

Jasper was glaring at me, "nice Edward, she's not even out of surgery and you're fucking

leaving."

I couldn't deal with their bullshit right now. I glared right back. As if I was gonna fucking

leave without seeing her first! Asshole!

"There's a reason she's not fucking dead!" I spat, pointing towards the door. "They didn't

_need _her dead; they just needed her fucking injured!"

Jasper's eye began to twitch and his head started shaking. He looked like he was trying to

take a really painful dump. "INJURED?" He roared. "YOU CALL THAT FUCKING

INJURED, EDWARD? SHE GOT SHOT FIVE INCHES ABOVE HER FUCKING

HEART!"

Jasper was never gonna forgive himself. She'd been in his arms when it happened.

"EXACTLY! Those pricks may not be us but the y're still decent shots, Jasper. If they

were aiming for her heart, they wouldn't have fucking missed!"

The thought was…chilling.

I was gonna nail gun those Goddamn cocksuckers all together by their dicks and then rip

them apart. One, successive line of little pricks – a Russian/Japanese kebab full of _shite_!

"Edward, what the fuck are you talking about?" Emmett threw his hands out

dramatically, exasperated with his lack of understanding.

Fucking hell McCarty, keep up!

I closed my eyes and attempted a calming breath. "What's tomorrow night?"

Emmett gaped at me. "You hit your fucking head or something, what the fuck Edward?"

"It's Saturday tomorrow," Jasper bit out, frowning at me - like I was a dumbshit, I might

add.

Knob.

"Yes, Saturday. What happens Saturday night?" Fuck me; it was hard having patience

with those of a lesser intelligence.

"What? The shipment bust? What about it?" Jasper asked disbelieving, like he couldn't

fathom why I was bringing this up with baby girl lying in a fucking hospital.

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…That _they _put her in. Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead!

"You think this is all one big fucking coincidence?" I snapped.

I could literally hear the cogs in Emmett's brain turning. He was mapping it all out.

I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for the click to happen.

Beam me the fuck up Scottie…

"They knew," he concluded. "They found out we know about the shipment. They know

for fucking sure we'll walk away with it…"

We have lift off!

"…and they needed to create a distraction," Jasper finished for him.

I glowered at his chosen way of 'putting' it. _Distraction_.

Our baby girl was nobody's fucking distraction. They fucking _used _her. The work shed at

home suddenly popped into my head. The JCB 9" angle grinder was hung up next to the

rest of the grinding and routing tools. Oh, the sweet things I could do with that grinder.

I'd start with ears…

"They're hoping we don't go forwards with the bust. They know we'll be too focussed on

Bella's injuries, and if we do go for it, they won't expect _us _to be there. They expect us to

stay with her," Emmett sighed.

"If we still go for it - they think they can handle the heavies we send in as replacements.

It's _us _they can't fight…and win." Jasper nodded as he spoke, taking in his words.

That wasn't exactly true. Our guys were lethal. They'd still win. It just wouldn't be as easy

and clean-cut as we'd make it.

Emmett's head snapped to me, "what do we do?"

I glared at the window. "We hit back; hard…create our own…distraction."

It was another hour before Peter came in. We all shot up instantly.

"She's in recovery," he sighed.

"How is she?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer to that question. I

was barely keeping it together. I was pretty sure the next thing to test my patience or tell

me to stop smoking was gonna die. Nurses six and seven had had a lucky escape.

98

"She's…fortunate to be alive." He admitted honestly.

Emmett winced, Jasper closed his eyes and I…made a decorative dent in the wall.

Fuckers were gonna pay. All of them. Hurting my Bella. _Our _Bella.

"She'll be alright though?" Jasper whispered.

Peter blew out slowly, "she should be. Roughly six weeks for the ribs to heal _fully_. No

strenuous exercise. Her shoulder will be tender for a while, but it was a clean shot and hit

nothing but tissue. I stitched her myself, scarring should be minimal. She'll need closely

monitored over the next couple of weeks just to make sure the lung stays in tact and

doesn't collapse again."

"That can happen?" Emmett questioned worriedly.

Peter nodded, "sometimes, yes. But we'll keep a close eye on her, alright?"

"I don't know what we would have done…" Jasper trailed off, his head shifting to the

side, gazing out of the window.

I couldn't even go down that road. Not now, not ever. I'd do too much damage just

thinking about it.

"She's a lucky girl," Peter responded, twitching his neck slightly to the side and back

again. "How she's not in a worse state – judging by what you've said happened, well, let's

just say I've been a doctor for a few years now and have never seen anyone walk away

with so few injuries, not with the severity of that kind of…accident."

So few injuries – just what they needed. Enough for us to panic.

"Can we see her?" Emmett asked.

Peter nodded. "Sure, but I'll pre-warn you - she's completely out. Don't be expecting her

to snap to and make witty banter, not today at least. It's…gonna take some time, guys."

I felt like tearing this room apart. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't _want _to acknowledge

that they'd been able to get to us, get to her – hurt her. I wanted everything to be normal.

For Bella to be at home, with us, eating dinner and rolling her eyes at the three of us as

we did a quick round of rock, papers, scissors to determine who got to sit next to her. I

hear that, and _believe _me – I wish it wasn't the truth.

We always thought we did it discreetly, but baby girl missed nothing.

We made our way out of the waiting room and took a left. I signalled to Paul and Garrett

to follow, they'd shown up within ten minutes of mine and Aro's conversation ending.

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There was a fair walk down the corridor before making another left. Peter stopped in

front of a closed door.

He gave us all a tight smile before pushing it open.

I felt like actually fucking sobbing.

My eyes did some shit crazy zoom thing, and the room flew passed my vision and honed

in on nothing but the tiny, fragile lump lying in the hospital bed.

Nothing was visible except her face; she was completely mummified in her sheets. Wires

were sticking out here, there and everywhere, there were several machines around her –

one beeping steadily.

The left side of her face was towards us - it was marred with random bruises. There was

also a bandage wrapped securely over her temple and hairline. I sent a questioning glance

to Peter.

"She had a nasty cut, mostly superficial but towards the middle it was deeper. It needed a

couple of stitches." He explained.

"Will it scar?" Emmett whispered.

We all knew what he was thinking. Bella was already so hateful of her body. She already

had so many scars, but she could hide them well. One on her face would be too much for

her…

"It's directly next to her hairline; it practically runs parallel to it - even curves the same

way. The deeper part will likely mark permanently, but it's small. A fingernail at the most

– hers, not ours," his lips thinned as he looked at us sympathetically.

"And the bruising?" Jasper asked, looking at Bella with glistening eyes.

"Isn't as bad as it looks, I promise. It'll be gone within a week or so. She's had a couple of

bumps to the head, but they'll go down. Nothing too serious. She'll be closely monitored."

I was glad I wasn't the one hooked up to the machines. I was pretty sure they'd be beeping

furiously right about now.

Seeing her – like that, it just brought back so many memories. It had taken us so much

time to get Bella better after we found her. What was gonna happen now? Would she

regress? Would we have to start all over again?

And what about her attacks? Six weeks recovery for broken ribs? Bella had never gone a

week without attacking. Even in their mildest form, her breathing would become

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incredibly laboured and her body would shake. How the fuck was she gonna make it six

weeks without causing herself to suffer immense pain and further damage?

No stress. She needed complete calm, that was a given. But even then, there was no way

of pulling her from her own mind, her memories. She attacked a fuck lot less at night so

long as we were with her. So one of us would have to stay with her at all times whilst she

slept – no nights alone, _none_. Jane was coming nowhe re near the house, a decision I

wouldn't have to force on anyone.

The next six weeks had to be focussed on Bella and her recovery - and _nothing _else. We

had to get baby girl mended and back together again. Which meant we had until

tomorrow night to get things completely sorted out. The shipment seize had to happen

without any drama. We had to get that fucking rat. We couldn't bring baby girl home

unless things were a hundred percent safe for her. If Bella felt uneasy in her own home,

we'd have to deal with a butt- fuck load of episodes. Out of the question.

We also had the task of scaring the Russian's enough to make them go crawl back under

whichever Godforsaken rock they'd crawled out of. We had to hit 'em hard. We had to

make them back the fuck off. We'd need to get our hands on one of their higher's to really

get the message across. That…might not be so easy.

I needed to get home. Head's needed to start rolling. We didn't have much time. I wanted

to look baby girl in the eye come Saturday morning and tell her everything was fine – and

not be lying.

We had to put this right.

"Em, Jaz?" I said quietly, waiting for them to acknowledge me. "I need to get home. You

two stay with her, Paul's guys are here. I'll call as soon as I can."

Translation: stay here and wait for instructions.

I padded my way over to Bella's bedside. She looked so fragile, like a small, aged china

doll that would break with the slightest of touches. I bent and very lightly, brushed my

lips against her forehead.

I didn't want to leave her. I wanted to bundle her up in my arms and just…run.

Instead, I managed to tear myself away and head towards the door, clapping Jasper

reassuringly on the shoulder before I exited. Peter followed me out.

"You two," I barked at Paul and Garrett. "If I hear you've moved a single inch, I'm taking

limbs, you understand?"

They both nodded.

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"Peter?"

"What can I do, Edward?" God Bless him. This life may not have been for him, but he

still stuck around to help us in any way that he could. I think the poor fucker actua lly felt

bad for not wanting to be part of the family. I never got 'it' personally, I loved this life.

But looking at Peter, well, he'd really made something of himself. Kinda gotta admire

that about him. Joining up – that would have been easy for him. He took the harder road.

Went to med school and all that shit.

"We're gonna need to get Bella moved before tomorrow night, I want a private room

somewhere nobody would expect her to be – oncology ward, even the kiddies ward,

Christ, somewhere deep within the old folks' ward will do. Just anywhere but here, think

you can do that?"

"I'll start checking," he responded.

"I want you to write up discharge papers for her as well," I added.

Peter looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"There's method in the madness," I smirked. "I want Bella's paper trail to disappear. As of

tomorrow morning, she's _technically _discharged. Write up some new papers for me,

Marie Higgenbottom - brought in an hour before Bella was, nasty accident on those dry

ski slopes up at Castle Wood. She's two years older; make her injuries more…extensive.

No mention of a shot wound though, you hear?"

Despite him looking like he wanted to have the man in the van come collect me to be

sectioned, he managed to slowly nod.

"Paul?"

His head snapped up.

"Keys."

His hand disappeared into his pants pocket before chucking me the jangling metal my

way. I caught them easily.

"Oh, and Peter? Could you bring Charlotte in?"

"Of course, I'll call her now."

"Good." I turned on my heel and made my way out of the ho spital. I walked passed two

of Paul's guys stationed at the ward's entrance. I glared at them. A silent warning – _don't_

_fucking move_.

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I was glad when the cool air outside hit my face, refreshing me. I hated hospitals. The

smell repulsed me.

I found Si sat in one of our mercs, just as I'd requested. I tapped the car keys against the

tinted black window. Seconds later, said window was rolling down, exposing Si's scarred

face. He was a scary looking fucker. Liked knives. Got quite cut up over the years

learning how to master his skills. Few could beat him; he was still no match for Jasper

though. The six inch scar ranging from the top of his eyebrow, right across his eye and

down to his cheek – was evidence of that.

"Edward," his deep voice rumbled in greeting.

I liked Si. He was a man of few words. Another one with a calm, silent demeanour. The

great thing about Si was watching him 'snap.' Si didn't necessarily ever snap. He just got

fed up. Talking one minute, knife impaling your neck the next – whilst he cont inued to

chomp on an apple. Fucker liked his apples. Hated people who talked too much though.

Funny shit to watch.

"Aro fill you in?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, "gotta rat." His eyes were _literally _sparkling. He was

amused. Some piece of shit had the gall to fuck with us, to Si; this was comedic value at

its best.

"I'd have you lot at the house to help, but I don't trust anyone there right now. I need you

guys to stay here and keep a look out. Anything suspicious, follow up."

"Sure. How's Bella?" He was suddenly serious.

Si was a loner in every sense of the word. He didn't 'do' people. He tried to keep to

himself as much as possible, and most tried to steer _well _clear of him. We had all thought

that Bella would have been scared shitless of him. Fuck, the guy gave _us _the chills

sometimes. But she wasn't scared. Or intimidated. Bella quite liked Si. He was scarred –

like her. Bella was quite possibly the one person we'd ever witnessed him having an

_actual _conversation with. Fuck – I'd even seen him _smile _at her. And what d'ya know, he

_does _have teeth.

You'd always know when Si had been at the house. He'd leave a polished red apple on the

kitchen countertop for baby girl. Nothing else. Just the apple. He liked Bella, thought a

lot of her.

"Not good. Her lung collapsed," I squinted as sunlight attacked my eyes.

His face hardened. I suppressed the shudder that was trying to force its way through my

body, Si + visibly angry = scary shit.

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"Just…keep an eye out. Call if you get anything."

He nodded stiffly before pressing the control button, his window sliding up.

I made a call to Aro before getting in the car, letting him know I was on my way. I nearly

had a heart attack when I turned the key in the ignition.

_'SAYS MR BOOM BOOM BOOM_

_BOOMBASTIC SAY ME FANTASTIC_

_TOUCH ME IN MY BACK SHE SAYS I'M MR ROOOOO…MANTIC_

_CALL ME FANTASTIC'_

I punched the power off button on the sound system and ripped the iPod away, throwing

it onto the backseat.

Fucking Paul!

I tore out of the parking lot like a bat outta hell. I couldn't be bothered waiting for the

fucking prick at the security exit to raise the barrier, so I mounted the curb, flipped him

off and sped away.

I had time to think clearly in the car, and there was a lot to fucking consider.

Was the rat a new guy, or someone who had been with us for quite some time? Had they

been 'turned' or had they infiltrated our family as a traitor to begin with? And who? It had

to be someone with ears…with a little pull.

I could rule out anyone close. Emmett, Jaz and I would never even think to suspect Aro,

Laurie, James, Alec and Felix. They were true family. Paul's guys had been with us since

the beginning, so him and Garrett, plus the three S's - Sam, Seth and Si, were off the

hook. Marcus never really came to the house. He was an old buddy of Aro's who took

care of any of our business ventures; he was also Peter's father. He kept out of the 'heavy'

shit; he managed business and the books – that was it. The illegitimate legit stuff – that

was Marcus. If he'd been up to no good, Aro would have known. He'd never risk Peter's

neck either. So Marcus was safe.

We'd need to grill all of the hired help. Well, Maggie would as soon as claw her own eyes

out before ever bringing harm to this family, she'd also be the first to come calling if

she'd picked up on anything out of sorts. She was our eyes and ears amongst the help. She

hadn't reported anything, but it couldn't hurt to ask, just in case.

The main issue for me was the car. How the fuck had they switched it? The car had been

identical to one of ours. Same plates, same interior detail, same everything. But our cars

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were fucking proofed. You could throw nuclear missiles at them and the body work

wouldn't even scratch. The car Bella had been in today…wilted. So how the fuck had

they done it?

We had security cameras all over the property, some within direct viewing sight, and

some hidden. The ones up at the garages were in view. To switch the car, some fucker

had either taken the car off the property and swapped it, driving back in with the switch.

Or, the cocky prick had driven onto the property with the switch and left with one of

ours. We had four Range Rovers. If they'd switched the car whilst on the property, the

cameras would show five Rovers up at the garages, not four. But they wouldn't be that

fucking stupid, would they?

And how did they _know _to switch the car? Had Bella always been the target?

I got hit Wednesday night. Completely out of the blue. Totally random. But not odd, not

when you know the Russians like we do.

Was it connected? Were the Russians desperately trying to do _anything _to stop us from

getting hold of that shipment?

Taking me out would certainly fuck things up for this family. The rat could have

informed them that I'd left the house, leaving the Russians to seize the opportunity.

Laurie had been spying for us. He'd gotten home in the small hours of Thursday morning.

We finalised plans to take the shipment on Monday, we'd been out all day Tuesday

getting shit sorted out for it. Came home to find Bella attacking.

Then I get hit Wednesday night. I get away, of course.

So how did they know to go for Bella today? How did they know where to fucking find

her?

Thursday…I got home. Argued with Emmett and Jasper. Told them about the hit. Bella

had been fast asleep, she'd had another attack. Laurie brought her down to me. I told them

she was _not _to leave the house. That was final. I'd told all staff and all family members

not to let Bella leave.

It wasn't until this morning, after the balls up in the shower, that Aro reminded us that

refusing to let Bella go out would alert her to something, make her panic. We wanted to

keep her in the dark over all of this. We had to let her leave. So we arranged it for her –

but it was last minute. Not enough time for them to switch a fucking car – especially not

with the heightened security I'd conjured up after the hit.

So it hadn't been switched today.

What was I fucking missing?

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_Woof_, _woof_…

I rewound to Thursday.

"_We uhhh_…_may have promised Bella could get a puppy_…_go pick it out_…_today_…"

Today – as in yesterday, Thursday. They'd promised Bella could get the dog - on

Wednesday, _after _I'd left.

Had the rat heard? Had they informed the Russians that Bella would be leaving the house

to go get a dog, on Thursday?

That gave them…what? Twenty-four hours or so between Wednesday and Thursday

afternoon to switch the cars?

I dug my cell out of my pocket and called Em.

"Edward?" He answered on the second ring.

"What time on Wednesday did you tell Bella that she could get the dog?" I said in a rush.

"Huh?"

Emmett McCarty – a mobster. Sometimes, it shocked me.

"The dog, Emmett!" I bit out. "Roughly what time on Wednesday did you tell her she

could go and get one?"

"Uh, after you left, which was what, around eleven? We had to stitch up her hand, that's

when she mentioned it. Maybe around half eleven – pushing midday?"

"What time did I get back yesterday?"

Emmett growled. Still pissed about that then…

"Dunno, around two-ish?" He guessed.

That sounded about right. The second I got home I increased security. Emmett was

getting pissed off with me ignoring his questions as I fired around the kitchen making

phone calls. By around two in the afternoon yesterday, we were pretty much on red alert

and people knew not to let Bella leave the house.

So that gave them…twenty-seven hours - tops, to change the car.

"Gotta go, bye!" I disconnected the call.

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I rang Aro.

"You nearly here?"

"Yeah. I want all security footage from between eleven on Wednesday morning to three

in the afternoon yesterday pulled. Have Laurie and Alec start going though it. I want to

know exactly who came in, and who went out between those times. And I mean

_everyone_. Find out who was on the gates between then."

"Will do. Anything else?"

"I want my gun waiting and loaded."

I hung up.

Aro and I had been the ones to suddenly get everything sorted for baby girl leaving

earlier. We arranged the men, the driver, the route. They'd had…an hour - tops, to get

ready. _Definitely _not enough time to get a car in and out, but certainly enough time to

make a phone call to those Russian piss ants letting them know she was leaving the

house…and where she was going.

So which son of a bitch was it?

I rounded the turn and the gates leading into the property came into view. You'd never

know what went down earlier today. The road looked completely normal. No blood, no

bodies, no cars, no tree, no nothing. All cleared.

I approached the intercom and wound my window down. I pressed the button and waited.

"Name?" A bored voice called out.

_Test my fucking patience_…

"Edward, open the fuck up!"

"Please state your full name, Sir."

"Edward 'I'm gonna come up there and wrap some fucking wire around your

motherfucking throat if you don't open the Goddamn gate now' Cullen!"

Fucking prick!

"Code number please?"

I growled. "Three-nine-six-eight-nine-two- four-zero-zero- five."

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"Welcome home Mr Cullen," he responded, uninterestedly.

"Fuck you!" I snapped. My engine roaring as the gates began to swing slowly open.

Stupid fuck!

I darted up the driveway, my tyres screeching against the paved ground as I slammed on

the breaks, cut the ignition and ripped open the car door.

Aro came rushing out of the front door, my gun in his hand. Good man.

"Did you see her? Is she alright?"

"No," I replied darkly, slamming the door shut and snatching my gun from his hands. I

began stalking up towards my house. I was taking no prisoners. Not today.

"Who's on gate duty?"

"Finn..."

"Are you about to tell me he was one of them on duty sometime between Wednesday and

Thursday afternoon?" I glowered.

Little shit. It was official, we hired morons.

"He was, want him brought in?"

"Yep," I popped the P. "Who else?"

"Adam, I'll have Felix bring them." He began to type furiously on his phone.

I managed to dent the wall as I threw open the front door. I couldn't have cared fucking

less.

I stormed into the kitchen, making several men jump as that door also, ricocheted off the

wall. The delicate thud of crumbling plasterboard hitting the tiled floor sounded out

amongst the silence.

"Maggie, my study love – go." I motioned my head in the direction of the door. I didn't

want Mags around for this. She was a good woman.

Just as she left, Felix entered through the back doors, dragging the two imbeciles

alongside him.

I didn't think. I just did.

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BANG.

BANG.

Straight shots, right between the eyes. Felix didn't even flinch. He just dropped the

corpses and came to stand next to Aro and I.

I brought the butt of my gun up and began to casually scratch my chin with it.

"_Bella_," I began, a little animatedly, swaying back and forth on my heels, "is in the

hospital. Congratu-fucking- lations gentlemen! Three broken ribs, a punctured - _and then_

_collapsed _lung - which I might add, required surgery, a shot wound to the shoulder,

severe blood loss, bruising covering most of her body, scarring on her FACE, and

multiple scrapes and bumps." I exhaled loudly, looking at them all.

"We have a rat," I smiled without humour. "And I'm going to find them."

I aimed my gun at a random spot amongst the mass…and fired.

A scream pierced the air and the distinct thump of a body falling to the ground sounded -

loud and clear.

The masses of bodies moved, revealing the victim.

Oh look, I got his foot…

I aimed randomly again, and loud breaths were taken in.

"I'd suggest you start talking…"

I fired again.

**Always great to hear your thoughts, hope you liked it.**

**Happy weekends everyone!**

Chapter 7

**I don't own anything twilight -related. But no pinching plots please – I work freakin'**

**hard at writing this!**

**So, anyone up for the full chapter? Two days earlier than originally planned? I got**

**back results from an exam I sat last week. Was very happy with my result. So happy**

**I came home and wrote. A lot.**

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**Here it is – hope you enjoy!**

**As ever, a huge thank you for all the reviews, and to anybody who has added the**

**story to their favs/alerts/C2's.**

_Chapter Seven_

_Emmett_

Kay, so like, Edward kinda lost his shit at the house a little yesterday.

Nine. That's how many guys we'd lost. _Nine_. All because Rambo over there can't control

his fucking trigger happy fingers.

Not that I could really blame him. Jaz and I would n't have been any better. Not when it

came to Bella.

Technically, he'd only 'killed' three – directly. But he'd handicapped the other six. And as

Edward had so eloquently defended, 'what fucking good are cripples to us?'

Kinda had a point…

Poor fuckers got put down.

Edward hadn't managed to gleam a whole lotta information outta them. Scared them

shitless? Check. Found anything relevant out? Not so much.

Nobody seemed to know anything, which meant one of two things. Either our guys were

more loyal than we were currently giving them credit for, or he hadn't shot the right dude.

I was opting for the latter.

The security tapes had shown one of our guys driving off the property with one of the

Rovers…at six on Thursday morning. Bella started attacking at five. Edward got hit at

roughly half ten on Wednesday night, but the chase went on for hours. He hadn't gotten

home until well after noon on Thursday.

From what we could make of it, the Russians had a feeling they weren't gonna get

Edward. Ten fucking genius points right there. They needed a 'backup' option. The rat

had, in all likelihood, informed them about Bella leaving on Thursday to go get her

puppy - on Wednesday afternoon. That gave them a window of around eighteen hours to

arrange switching the cars.

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The switch drove back onto the property an hour after it had left, an hour before Bella

exhausted herself.

The switch was done by a guy who'd been with us for around six months. He worked

with Tyler up at the garages. It was his responsibility to look after and manage the

upkeep of the cars, of which – we had a lot. He did weekly inspections and tests on all of

our vehicles, making sure none of them had been tampered with. He was – had been – a

well trusted man.

The third guy Edward had outright killed had been the one to recommend him.

Ty was our driver, he chauffeured Bella around if she was going out and we didn't want

her driving herself. He was in his mid- forties; he'd been with us for five years. He'd

joined the police force at eighteen, been a squady for a few years. Car chased more pricks

than you could ever possibly imagine. Worked his way up and became one of the

academy's driving instructors. Taught the little boys how to drive like batcrap crazy men

– legally. Fuck-awesome job! He'd sure shown some of us a thing or two about driving.

His abilities were fucking mental after twenty-two years of service. He'd been Bella's

driver yesterday.

We had no doubt that Ty was still loyal. Guy got roughed up in the crash yesterday. He'd

come in to see baby girl late last night, visibly upset. Tyler always called her his 'Miss

Bella.' He was a bit of an old soul really, had an old world charm and gentlemanly-like

manner that was rarely ever seen now, especially around the ladies. He always wore the

same brown tweed, ne wsboy cap that he'd tip in greeting to all of us.

Edward had come down fairly hard on him after identifying who switched the cars. Didn't

understand how Tyler hadn't noticed anything being off. Truth of the matter was, Ty had

never taken to the boy. Thought he was a 'cocky piece of shit.' His words, not ours. We'd

always brushed it off; thought Ty was being a grumpy, old git.

Jacob Black was certainly cocky. He was also certainly very dead – when we got our

hands on him. He was currently MIA. Go figure.

We'd given Si the pleasure of hunting him down and bringing him in.

The one vital piece of information to come out of all of this was that we didn't just have

one rat. No, we had two.

Black had betrayed this family, no doubt about it. But he was nothing more than a

glorified mechanic. He could get away with coming in and out of the property with the

cars, sure. He had pull there. He didn't have any within the walls of our home though.

Jacob was never called into the house. He stayed up at the garages. If we needed him, we

went _to _him. The security camera's had shown no indication of him coming into the

house or conversing with many of the others – ever. Which meant we had someone

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working from the inside as well. Black had the pull, the insider had the ears. And said

ears seemed to be the informant.

Problem was – we had no fucking clue _who _it was.

But we knew they were listening. And we had the bust to pull off.

Enter Edward.

He and Aro had been scheming all night long whilst Jaz and I stayed with baby girl. The

plans were working beautifully.

At noon we had Bella 'discharged' from the hospital. In other words, we'd had her, or

should I say – had Marie, moved into a private room…in the children's ward.

Aro had called a meeting with the entire family, letting 'slip' that Bella was being brought

home at lunchtime. It wasn't a hard lie to tell. With everything that had happened; all he

needed to do was mention how none of us trusted to leave Bella in the hospital with the

current sate of events - we were too worried about the lack of security there. We felt we

couldn't protect her fully. So we were bringing her home. Allegedly.

The bust…well, we'd called in a favour. The Cuban's owed us big time for getting them

out of a rather fucking _large _lawsuit about three months ago. We'd informed everyone

that we were sending them, along with a few of our own guys, to the bust tonight - in our

places.

As far as everyone in our family was concerned, we were letting the Cuban's deal with it.

Aro sent everyone home for the night, claiming he didn't want Bella being disturbed.

Those who were part of the bust were to be at the docks at eight.

Trust Edward to be a sneaky fucker and think all of this through.

The real plans were going as follows…

Bella had been moved to a safe place within the hospital, her real paperwork had been

signed off and she'd technically gone home. We managed to sway Peter's wife, Charlotte,

into doing a little stage acting at lunchtime. For anybody who was still milling around the

house – that fucking shouldn't have been, at twelve twenty this afternoon, baby girl had

been carried inside and put to bed. Paul's guys had left the hospital, only to return in shitass

cars that nobody would recognize. They were signed in as Marie's family. They

would be staying with Bella tonight, bar Si. He was off to do a little tracking.

We'd conveniently let slip that Paul's guys would be part of the bust. Nobody could

question their absence. Their cars were all at home, they were 'preparing' for tonight.

They were off the radar.

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The Cuban's, bar one car full, weren't going anywhere near the bust. They were staying at

the house. As far as everybody else was concerned though, we were all staying home

with Bella tonight. In actual fact, the Cuban's were taking our place, and we were taking

theirs. They'd been given orders to shoot anyone who came onto the property acting

suspiciously. That house should be dead tonight. Everyone had been dismissed.

From the outside, we looked like we were home. Our cars were all parked up at the

garages and there was light and movement coming from inside.

Any rat with ears would have been at the meeting. Our plans would have been relayed to

the Russian pigs. Word was out that the Volturo family had backed down and sent the

Cuban's in to do their dirty work for them.

We had the element of surprise on our hands. And we planned on using the advantage

fully.

We were going after Vladimir Denali, Stefan's _brother_. We'd received a tip off that he

was going to be here tonight, overseeing things…and we wanted him. Taking the

shipment wasn't enough. In all honestly, taking the shipment wasn't ever really about

pissing off the Russians. It was about letting Mori know he was fucking with the wrong

family by importing on our soil – behind our backs. But after the Russians pulled that

stunt with _our Bella_, they needed fucking hurt. And bad.

Yeah, we wanted Vladimir Denali – _second in line _behind his brother.

The Russians needed a good shaking up, needed reminding of who they were fucking

with. Nobody shit of the Volturo family without severe consequences.

At eight, Jasper, Edward and I, plus Aro, Laurie, James, Felix and Alec had hopped our

cute asses into the Cuban's cars and made for the docks – pissed off and well fucking

armoured. The head of the Cuban family, Maritsa, was joining us, along with four of his

best. They were crazy bastards. They all seemed to favour gold teeth – seriously, bunch

of mental-ass metal mouths. One of them had been sharpening his knife – on his teeth,

before we'd left.

'Nough said…

When we had arrived, our guys were waiting. As they expected, Maritsa and a load of his

cars pulled up to join them. We'd driven out of sight before getting out and loading up,

checking over the guns and having them distributed whilst we stayed out of sight.

So here we were, an hour later, still waiting. The outline of a ship in the distance had

been within view for about five minutes now.

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The rain was pelting down, soaking us to the bone. I could feel the droplets falling from

my hair, sliding down my forehead and into my eyebrows. I gripped my gun tighter,

relishing the feel of it and imagining the damage it was about wreak.

We had all taken up our positions, scattered around the docks. We remained hidden. We

weren't supposed to be here and none of us wanted to give our presence away until the

very last minute.

As far as those other fuckers were concerned, the Cuban's had been called in as a favour

to take the shipment for us. Assholes were in for a nasty fucking surprise when they

realised the Volturo family's best were in fact, here – not at home.

That shipment was ours. Dickweeds would be better off just handing the fucking lot

straight over. They were about to loose a fuck load of men.

Of course, I couldn't really concentrate on any of this. Nope. My head was elsewhere.

Scheming and planning my revenge attack. I was not a happy bear.

Bitch was gonna pay.

I didn't like _that dog_.

In fact, let's take that statement one step further, shall we?

I fucking _hate _that piss-ass pug.

Leave it to Bella to pick out the one dog _in the world _that's been sent to dick with me.

Apparently, the fact that it had been me to finally cave and tell her she could get it,

counted for sweet. fuck. all. It gave me no free pass into not having that little _fuck _piss all

over my shit.

Came home early this morning to find she'd destroyed my underwear. That's right – you

heard fucking corr-ect! All of it. The lot. All ruined. So long Armani whites.

Oh and the insults didn't stop there. Oh no, no. Tinkerbelle tinkered everywhere in MY

room, left a lovely present for me on my bed too – and in my boots. My brand new, fuckawesome

Timberland boots. Y'know, the one's I have to get specially fucking made. I'm

seemingly being punished for having large feet.

I can't even muster up a funny bow-chica-wow-wow comment for that, I'm _still _too pissed

off about it.

My amazing footwear - now formally known as 'pug poopie place.'

She's a yappy, anti-social, little turd. _Minnie_.

114

Urgh.

Minnie fucking pain in my ass.

I'd left the hospital at around seven this morning, to come back to _my _home, only to be

greeted by the hell beast. She was literally waiting for me - growling, as I came through

the doors.

I'd bent down, making really fucking cute baby goo-goo noises, thinking she was just

being a lil' fraidy-cat, you know, all scared of the big, bag Em. Couldn't have been more

fucking wrong.

That piece of shit dog flew at me.

Like, literally took chunks out of my ankles – which by the way, now looked more like a

pregnant woman's _cankles _thanks to all the swelling.

I'd spent the better part of ten minutes hopping around the entrance parlour – like a

fucking cripple who'd been coated in dog chow and sent off to the pissing pound –

screaming for help, trying to shake the little fucker off. Bitch had her fangs in deep, I can

tell you. I had to go back to the hospital to get a tetanus shot – in my ass.

_Fucking IN. MY. ASS_!

It wasn't until I pulled and cocked my Goddamn gun – aiming for her, that the coward

stopped eating my legs and started running towards the kitchen. I managed to fire twice,

unfortunately missing the face- like-an-ass wimp, and blew two rather impressively large

holes in two separate walls.

So there stood I, Emmett fucking McCarty, man-beast extraordinaire, looking like a

fucking hobo with ripped, tattered pant legs, blood fucking _gushing _all over the marble

floor, having just met my match – in a tiny, pug puppy.

And when I say met my match, I mean been chewed half alive by a _thing _that doesn't

even fit fully into the palm of my hand.

Now I'll be the first one to admit, that shit kinda hurts a fella's ego.

Wasn't even a boy puppy. Nooooo…had to be a girl dog.

Life was sucking ass a little bit recently.

"Emmett," Edward hissed, "get your fucking head out your ass and pay attention!"

Fuck. You. Cullen.

115

That cocksucker could _kiss _my dog bitten _ass_.

Twat.

Don't think I don't know which fucking prick opened my bedroom door and let a certain

little shitbag into my room!

I was _not _talking to him right now.

It may have also had something to do with the fact that _Minnie _just loved Edward.

Y'know – Edward Cullen. The being that detests everything and anyone that breathes that

isn't Bella Swan shaped.

Fucking right she did!

In fact, allow me to expand further on that – that hell-hound, bitch- fuck, Satan spawned,

royal pain in my fucking neck, piece of piss _mutt _loved everyone. Absolutely everyone.

Except me.

Oh – and it gets worse!

She's not only violent…and unfriendly…and destructive...and basically just nasty, nope.

She's also a fucking schizophrenic.

Acts all cute and just down right fucking lovely around everyone else. Enter Emmett.

And HELLO batshit crazy!

Typical. Typical fucking Bella.

Adopt the one dog on this planet that could actually gain something from some severe

psychiatric care.

Jesus.

Not only had that dog destroyed my room, crapped in all my shoes, annihilated my

underwear, sent me to the hospital for a tetanus shot and FIVE stitches in my left _cankle_,

she was on some _Pinky and the Brain_, dark-dastardly mission to turn everyone against

me and make _me _look like the nutjob.

If I heard one more mofo tell me 'she's just a little dog, Em', I was gonna by a tank of

piranhas and dangle them into it with their scrotums hanging out. Suppers up boys! Feast

away!

Assholes.

116

She'd also made a scratching post out of my _limited addition _Elton John '_Benny and the_

_Jets_' vinyl.

Dog needed to die.

Em-bear extraordinaire was not happy.

"Fucking hell McCarty! You still moping over your tighty-whities? Grow the fuck up!"

Jasper snapped.

"Screw you Whitlock! You're not the one whose possessions have just been eaten down

to a tube sock and the _Annie _soundtrack! Fucking bitch dog! I'm like, a fucking tramp or

something now; I'm twenty- five years old with fuck all to my name!" I fired back.

Christ, with the tattered pants from earlier, all I needed was a fucking shopping cart and I

was _right there _– hobo fucking avenue!

I doubted Bella's love would extend _quite _that pissing far somehow…

And it was easy for them to be so shitting offhand about it! Like to see Edward's reaction

if that _affliction _now roaming our damn house got to his suits. Or if she went for Jasper's

guitar.

"I can't believe you've got the _Annie _soundtrack," Edward sniped as he adjusted his

position on the ground and re-aimed his M60, rebalancing its front mount and testing

accuracy. I didn't miss the 'gay much?' that followed under his breath as he began

checking his ammo feed.

Oh, wanted to go down that road did he…?

Bring it!

"Says the dude who got caught with gay porn hidden under his bed, in his secret, icklewickle

box that nobody was supposed to know about," I smirked.

I nearly fucking lost it laughing when I saw Edward's eyes widen and Jasper visibly move

further away from him. So fucking worth it!

Edward gnashed his teeth together, apparently very angry with my little 'slip.' "I told you

I didn't know who put that there!"

I waved it off, "yeah, yeah Cullen. Whatever you say. We get it – you homosexual's have

needs, just, y'know…think about Bella in all of this, yeah?"

Edward glared at me. "It was probably _you _who put it there!"

117

God, what a fucking dumb argument. Is that the best he could do?

I mean, it actually was – but I was hoping for a more…creative excuse. And I'd put it in

his collection whilst we were at college – final year if I remember correctly. So really,

something I did nearly four years ago wasn't all that relevant a defence in my books.

"Dude, seriously? Gay porn?" Jasper eyed him, his head moving backwards slowly as he

spoke. "Is that why _Brokeback Mountain's _in your top five?"

"Gent bent Jaz! I like the fucking scenery, Okay? It's got cowboys in it and shit, it's a

manly-ass fucking film!"

Oh sweet Lord Almighty, fucking _priceless_.

"Yeah…" Jaz began slowly, "but the cowboys like to, y'know…buttfuck each other

Edward. They're _gay _cowboys."

My body was _heaving _with silent laughter as Jaz spoke to Edward like a complete

dumbshit. '_They're _gay _cowboys_.' Fucking excellent! This was the best laugh I'd had all

damn day. It nearly took my mind of that wanky dog.

I said nearly.

Fucking mutt.

Edward looked like he wanted to rip my head off. Probably shouldn't antagonize him

whilst he's holding a gun. He lit a cigarette and blew the damn smoke right me.

I fucking hated when he did that. Gross.

"You're a fucking dick Em, you know that?"

I grinned, "hey, it's not my fault that it's _so _big it takes over from time to time!"

Bella would back me up.

They both groaned and rolled their eyes.

Edward blew more smoke my way.

"Would you fucking quit that? You know I hate it!" I barked at him.

He toked again and blew out, "quit being suc h a fucking pussy, Em!"

"Well fucking stop smoking then! You keep it up and we'll never get Bella to quit," I

tried to reason.

118

Baby girl only ever smoked to calm down during an attack. Jaz and I had been trying to

convince her to use more natural forms of stress relief – I'd even offered up Edward's nuts

to her as a stress ball. Unfortunately, she didn't take up the offer. Real fucking shame if

you ask me. I was quite looking forward to seeing him walk like a Spaniard who'd just

lost his donkey again - just like the time he decided to take a bath and slipped as he was

getting out…one foot either side of the tub. He hadn't gone near a bath ever since.

I think both Jaz and I had nearly burst a lung each watching him for the rest of the week

after that happened. He actually had to go see a specialist eventually. Good times.

We hated Bella smoking. It would be doing her too much damage. Didn't help the fact

that Edward wouldn't stop, nor James. We'd even tried to deny giving her any during an

episode, told her she didn't need them.

Turns out – she kinda does. She just flipped out even more.

"Bella will quit when she wants to, fucking hell Emmett! Just leave her be with it,"

Edward defended.

Not good enough.

If he and James stopped, Jaz and I had no doubts that she would as well. Plus – her

supply would be cut.

"Edward shut the fuck up!" Jasper cut in. "You known damn fine all you fucking do with

that shit is encourage her to keep up with it."

Thank you Whitlock.

Out of the three of us, it was Jasper who freaked over anything that may be classed as

'unhealthy' for Bella. Me? Well, if baby girl wants a slice of fucking pizza – let her have

it. Edward's thoughts? If a smoke and a drink will calm her down – let her at it. Jasper?

Moaned like a bitch if everything down to her damn peas wasn't 'organic.'

Shit tastes like actual fucking dirt, _by the way_. I don't even think they clean any of it

before selling it – and they fucking charge you _more _for it too. I mean, what the fuck is

an 'organic chicken' anyway? Is it a new fucking breed I don't know about or something?

Tastes _exactly _the same as all the others.

Strange fucking world we're living in now, I'm telling you. Filled with weird ass chickens

that are 'healthier for you' and viper dogs that try and eat you…

"Go fuck yourself Jaz! If you two women stopped fucking _nagging _her so much she

might give up. You know she's stubborn – the more you bend her ear about it the more

fucking determined she'll be to keep doing it!"

119

And that was quite possibly the biggest pile of _cack _I'd ever listened to. We never

moaned about it anymore. She still hadn't stopped. So Dr Reason there could take his

advice, dunk it in break oil and cram it up his ass – _quite fucking frankly_.

Footsteps sounded from around the corner of the container we were hidden behind. I

violently pulled back the slide of my M90 shotgun and aimed. I loved this gun. _Halo_

gamers could kiss my ass. I had that shit made for fucking real, ten of the beauties. This

made me officially _the _most loyal _Halo _player in the world.

Fucking right!

Laurie rounded the corner and crouched down, his big, bald head glistening from the rain.

"Their car carriers just pulled up, twenty-six of them."

Jasper whistled, "how many can they hold?"

"Nine maximum, each. You're looking at somewhere between two hundred and twentysix

to two hundred and thirty- four cars. Congrats gentleman, payday just came early," he

smirked.

We'd been expecting roughly two hundred from what Laurie had managed to find out

whilst he was in Japan. A little extra never hurt, right?

"They'll be arriving soon; you set to switch the drivers over?" Edward asked.

Laurie nodded, "Kev's got the new one's hidden in one of the containers at the back, he'll

switch 'em over as soon as the pigs are here and being kept…occupied."

"None of their drivers go free, you got it? Bullet for each one. No witnesses, Laurie,"

Jasper reminded him.

"I got it, I got it," Laurie waved off.

"You got Mal set up with the crane? I want that container full of Mori's shit sent packing

tonight." Edward's face darkened.

"Yep, we're all good to go," he smirked.

I grinned and slapped his back, "fucking right!"

Laurie stole off round the corner again to resume his position.

We had to sit tight for a while yet. None of us really wanted the effort of having to load

the cars ourselves. We'd hit them as soon as they were down to the final twenty. Let them

relax a little, think we were a no show.

120

Ten minutes later, car engines purred to life in the blackness, the headlights of what

looked like whole car lot of vehicles illuminated the shadows. Car doors opened and

closed, and people began shouting in Russian.

Clatters from all around sounded as the ramp leading onto the ship slammed down and

was secured into place.

Guess payday really had just arrived.

We spent the next two hours crouched down, like waiting ninjas dressed all in black.

Edward was receiving text messages for every forty or so cars that had been unloaded.

We had two guys close to the front, keeping count of every car that came off the ramp.

Jaz was sat, expertly twirling and twisting his knives around in his hands. He'd taken

down three poor fuckers who were on search patrol. It was disturbing just how good he

was at wielding those silver blades.

We were all completely soaked through. If we'd been lesser men without our training, we

may have been affected…and cold…and shivering. Instead, we threw a big 'fuck you' up

to the heavens and asked them for more.

Do your fucking worst!

When the text indicating two hundred had been offloaded came through, we were antsy

and ready to go. Edward sent the go ahead message to each gathered group and sent one

over to Kev to let him know he should start switching drivers.

And that was that.

Waiting time over.

We three stood, tall, proud, intimidating in the black of night. Jasper spun his blades and

pocketed them into their holders on his thighs. Edward kissed his gun dramatically,

smirking evilly. And I, I did my famous 'Arnie' movie move where I used one hand to

lock and load my gun by throwing it out and back, listening for the click. Time to go

blow some heads off.

Fucking love my job!

We stole through the night, silent and deadly. I swung my beloved M90 over my shoulder

and secured the strap as I noticed two shitbags up ahead with their backs turned. I

approached without making a sound. The only indication I was there came when I

snapped the first one's neck and the other finally noticed he was up the creek. Didn't even

have time to yell before he joined his partner on the ground.

121

We had scouters following behind us, keeping up with the body count and getting the

corpses moved up to a container at the back. It'd save us having to search through the

entire dockyard for bodies later on a cleanup.

Fuck that!

I rounded a corner and came up against four. I had just enough time to un-strap my gun

and blow a hole in one chest before the return fire began. I got the first shot in; it had

been deathly quiet up until now. My booming shot ignited hell. And our boys unleashed.

If they hadn't known we were here before, they sure as fuck did now.

I was like a kid at Christmas – so fucking excited!

I bent quickly to the ground, grabbed my Mag from its holster, and shot both it and my 90

off at the same time. Two more down. The last ape was fairly fucking relentless.

Determined to get a shot in. Not fucking happening.

He was pissing me off. I shot at both his feet and basked in the screams that soon

followed. I let him have his little girly moment. Fucking rolling around on the floor like

an injured animal. Christ, whatever happened to taking it like a fucking man?

Jasper rounded the opposite corner, surfacing directly next to the prick. He completely

ruined my happy moment by firing at the fuckers head.

"Jaz, what the hell?"

He rolled his eyes, "didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?"

I stomped my way past him, "that makes no fucking sense Jasper. Talk about ruining the

moment!"

"Quit sulking, big baby," he mumbled as he tore off in the opposite direction.

I came up against a bigger group a few containers down.

Why? Why'd he have to do that?

BANG.

I was enjoying myself.

BANG.

Coming in and taking all over!

122

BANG.

Dick needs to lighten up.

BANG.

Stop being so serious all the time.

BANG.

BANG.

Edward's starting to rub off on him.

BANG.

Never a good sign.

BANG.

Me thinks a little chat-ett is needed.

BANG.

I was nearing the ship when I rounding on two little Japanese turds. They started yelling

at me and waving around knives.

Seriously?

Was this the best they could do? I was getting bored.

I sighed and trudged up to them, batting their arms away as they thrashed at me. One spat

on me. Fucking hell no. I lifted the pair of them a few feet off the ground and slammed

their heads together, nodding acceptingly as I heard their skulls crack against each other.

Would have to do I guess…

Things were getting louder. I heard 'Volturo, Volturo!' being yelled repeatedly. Covers

blown then.

The ship was suddenly right in front of me as I came around a container. Shots were

being fired here, there and everywhere and little, black shapes were running around

frantically, either trying to find cover or get the cargo sorted out.

I wasn't really interested. This wasn't a challenge. _Minnie _on the other hand, there was a

fucking problem. How was I gonna deal with that dog?

123

I huffed.

Bella would be kinda pissed if I killed _it_. Laurie seemed to think she adored the little rat.

Maybe she could m-m-m-m- meet with an accident.

I grinned.

_A Fish Called Wander _– best film ever!

I stopped dead in my tracks. _A Fish Called Wander_. There was a scene, a particular

scene…

A plan began to formulate. Could actually work!

"Emmett, what in the name of _God _are you doing?" Aro bellowed, taking in my still form

– in the middle of all the chaos.

Oh right, the fight!

Hmmm. This was shit. No challenge.

Vladimir Denali.

Not much better, but it would do. Where was the ass?

"Seen Vlad the lad?" I hollered.

He jogged over to me. Y'know, for a guy who was soon to be turning fifty-six, Aro was

in fuck-awesome shape.

"Last I heard the royals had taken up defence behind their car, fucking pussies!" He spat.

I threw my arm around him, "let's go get us some Russian meat. Teach them a little

something about fucking with the Volturo's girl."

He barked out a laugh. "Emmett my boy, that's _the _most sensible thing I've heard you say

in years!"

I mocked offence at that.

We stole east and soon found where all the fire was. Fucking pussy boys were indeed

sheltering behind their car, with twenty men stood out front defending them. This is

something we all despised about the Russians. They were cowards. Our leader? Ours was

right in the fight with the rest of us. Aro would never send us to take care of something

like this whilst he stayed at home and put his feet up. He'd certainly never cower behind a

fucking SUV and leave us to protect him either.

124

There were a heap of crates stacked up and sat at an angle, poking out from behind a

container – giving us a perfect view.

I nodded to them, "whatcha think old man? You up for a little action?"

That earned me a punch to the gut – I actually felt it. Impressive.

"Less of the old you," Aro winked, crouching down behind the crates and aiming.

We'd have to make this quick.

"On three," Aro whispered.

"Three," I grinned…and fired.

One down, pump, two down, pump, three down, pump…

The return fire was pretty nasty. These boys had the big guns.

Aro and I worked up quite a sweat taking them down. More so when a few of the pricks

came at us from behind. One of their bullets sliced past my leg, I could feel the skin split

and open. They knew instantly they were up shit creek when I'd looked down to see the

blood beginning to pool and drip.

What the fuck was it with things attacking my legs today? Leave 'em alone for Christ

sake! Images of that mongrel dog chomping into me earlier this morning flashed through

my mind. It stirred the anger to just the right degree. When I glanced back up, the morons

were actually backing away from us.

Can you believe that?

Aro pissed his pants laughing when I threw down my gun and went straight to manual

attack, beating them to a bloody pulp. One ran away. His ass got shot. Emmett McCarty

does not chase after mice.

I left Aro to deal with the few left and made my way behind the container, coming around

the corner to find Vladimir fucking Denali ducking behind his car like a total girl with

two body guards either side of him.

I took two small daggers from my pants and gauged the distance. I wasn't knife-savvy the

way Jaz was, but still, I never missed.

I crept silently until I was only a few feet away and hurled them at the bodyguards. I was

up before they struck; reaching out to grab Vladimir within a nanosecond of his two men

hitting the floor, daggers in the backs of both their heads.

125

"Hello sweetheart," I cooed into his ear mockingly.

He seemed to be having a fit…or something. Kinda irritating. I wished he'd just stay the

fuck still and not annoy me further.

I began dragging his ass back around towards Aro, who had finished up and was directing

our scouts to dispose of the bodies.

"Awww Aro, looky, looky here! Happy fucking Birthday a few weeks early, ya

geriatric."

Aro's eyes lit up like light bulbs, "oh Emmett, you shouldn't have!"

"I know, I know," I played along. "But it's your big five six coming up!"

He grinned wickedly before stalking forwards and smashing the butt of his gun into

dickwards temple, knocking him out cold.

"Can you load him for me? I think I'll go home and play for a while, see if he's willing to

let up some info."

"Sure," I replied.

Poor fucker would be waking up alive…this time. Not so much the next.

As I walked back through the docks towards where we'd stored the cars, things seemed to

be wrapping up. The occasional shot rang up, but the yelling of orders and barked out

instructions were now coming form us. We had the shipment.

Edward and Jaz caught me nearer the cars, looking relieved to see me and asking

frantically if Aro was alright. Talk about not giving credit where credits due, huh? Was

Aro alright? Pft. He'd probably outlive _us_.

I dumped the Russian heap of shit into the car Aro had driven over and slammed the

trunk down.

From the way Edward was jabbering on, it sounded like it had all gone to plan. Mal was

getting ready to load the container full of Mori's guys onto the ship, the cars were all

ready to go to one of our warehouses, Edward was grinning like a fool having spotted a

red Mazda RX 8 that 'had Bella's name on it' and Jaz got to knife some motherfuckers.

Happy campers or what?

We spent another thirty minutes tying up loose ends; we'd lost eight – nobody of any

consequence and easily replaced. James, Alec and Felix were all buzzing and preparing

for a night of 'pissed vision' by the sounds of things, Laurie wanted to go to the hospital

126

to see Bella and Aro was positively bouncing on his toes at the prospect of having

Vladimir Denali to…keep him company for the night. Knowing Aro, he'd think of

something artistic to do with his body, something to really incense Stefan.

Couldn't wait for the details.

We had the clean up crew come in to wash away the blood and pick up any shells or

abandoned weapons. With Mori's guys being sent back to Japan, we were only left with

the Russian losses to deal with. They were loaded and sent to one of our out of town

houses, where they'd be incinerated and forgotten about.

We all smirked and waved off the ship as it voyaged out once again. I'd pay good money

to see the look on Mori's face when it arrived in Japan.

I drew the short straw and had to go back to the house, where _Minnie _was, hopefully

eating something electrical…that was plugged in, whilst Jaz and Edward drove off with

Laurie and went straight to the hospital. I had to go back and get Bella a bag for whilst

she was still in. She'd want some of her own stuff when she woke up.

When I walked through the doors I greeted some of the Cuban's and relayed what had

happened. Maritsa followed in after me pretty quickly and left with the lot of them soon

after. I was kinda glad to finally have my house back.

And naturally, I'd spoken too soon.

The reminder of my house now belonging to something that weighs no more than a small

bag of sugar was spread across the floor leading into the kitchen.

I recognised what the shredded bits were instantly, even before walking into the kitchen

and finding the head in _her bed_.

My Mr Truffles.

The teddy bear I'd had since I was SIX MONTHS old, lay in…pieces. Fuck, this is how

Stefan's gonna feel when he gets Vladimir's body back. It was horrible! The grief! The

loss! Jesus, this feeling was shit!

Fucking dog!

That was it. That was fucking _it_.

I snatched my cell from my pocket and began opening the drawers in the kitchen,

slamming them shut when I couldn't find what I wanted.

Mangy fucking mutt had pissed its last piss and ripped its last rip!

127

Teach her a fucking lesson.

Taking my Mr Truffles…

Teach her the fucking artful importance of BOUNDRIES.

Thinking she can get one up on me. I'm Emmett fucking McCarty – a Goddamn fucking

mobster! I will not be bested by some prissy little Satan-esque dog.

AH-HA!

_Yellow pages_.

_A Fish Called Wander _– eat your fucking heart out!

I started flipping through the book. What would it be under…?

Kennels?

A pound?

Pet adoption?

Rescue homes?

Exterminator? Ooooo, that'd be good!

MWAH HA HA!

Security services! Bingo.

I bashed in the number quickly and pressed call.

It rang…

And rang…

And fuck me just pick up the phone, _pick it up_…

I cringed away from my handset as someone on the other end – finally – answered,

clearing their throat – fucking ewww. Save the phlegm rattle for some other poor sod, if

you please.

"J.R. Bucks Security and Protection Services, this is Randy speaking. Ho w may I help?"

128

Possibly _the _most disgusting voice I'd ever had the displeasure of listening too. These

were definitely my guys.

"Uh, yeah, hi," I began, smirking over at the little shite's bed, sure of my win on this one.

"I wanna hire a really big dog."

Fucking genius!

"What kinda dog, Sir?"

"A fuck-massive one. The Goddamn horse of all dogs. Ooohhh, and make sure it's a boy.

And really vicious. One that drools a lot when it bares its teeth. Get the picture?"

Right then, _Minnie _came waltzing her shit right through the kitchen doors…like she

fucking owned the place…dragging my…

I squinted.

For. Fuck. Sake.

…favourite Yves Saint Laurent shirt behind her.

"Yeah, uh…Randy? I'm gonna need that dog soon, like, fucking yesterday."

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Chapter 8

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129

_Chapter Eight_

_Bella_

_Wake up Bella_…

_It's time to wake up_…

I felt like I was having a bit of a Dory moment from _Finding Nemo_, I found myself really

wanting to ask, 'are you my conscience?' in a really funny voice.

That made me want to giggle.

I was comfortable. And warm. And I just wanted to keep sleeping. I found myself

somewhat at odds…there was no worry. I think for once in a very long time, I felt

peaceful. And I didn't want it to end.

But sadly, my body had other ideas.

My sleepy eyes began to crack open, feeling unused and allergic to the slithers of light

now attacking them. Was it always this…_bright_?

"Bella?" Somebody whispered.

That sounded familiar.

"Bella hunny, are you awake?"

I tried to adjust my head in the direction of the voice, but winced slightly as a dull pain

throbbed at my side.

That…kinda hurt. It wasn't there a minute ago.

My eyes blinked and landed on a slight form sat in a cha ir, next to my…bed?

"Charlotte?" I croaked.

A smile plastered its way onto her face. "Oh gosh Bella! You're awake! We've been so

worried!"

I felt woozy.

"Worried?"

130

Too damn bright!

"Yes worried!" She laughed. "My God Bella, we all thought…" She trailed off. "The

accident, it was just…so bad."

Accident?

"It's a miracle you weren't hurt worse!"

"Worse?"

Was it just me, or was none of this making any sense?

"Mmm, Peter's still amazed. Three broken ribs, one of them punctured you lung and it

collapsed and then the shot wound." She shook her head. "I hope the boys give them a

piece of their minds! I've never seen them so upset before!"

My boys?

Were they ok? Where were they?

"Are they alright?"

"Oh, they're fine. Worried sick about you of course, I mean, you can't blame them! How

are you feeling?"

"Sore." Like I just got run over by a…

_Oh!_

Images assaulted my mind.

Getting Minnie. Driving home. The unease. The car…crashed? Lots of noise. Then

something hit…me? There was lots of pain. I was in Jaspers arms. There was lots of red.

Then I was cold. And then…nothing.

I snapped to.

"Lottie, are the boys ok? Were any of them hurt?" I asked frantically.

"Bella," she hushed. "They're fine. I promise. They'll be in soon."

Relief washed over me like a cold shower.

My boys were all ok. None of them were hurt. That was good. Very good.

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I could leave further questioning for later. Just so long as they were all alright.

My lower stomach twinged uncomfortably, and I recognised it for what it was instantly.

Three broken ribs had she said? I was gonna need help…

"Lottie? I really need to pee!" I sent her an apologetic look, but what's a girl to do? I

really freakin' needed!

"Oh! Of course, here, let's get you up!"

I pushed all thoughts of the…contact that was about to happen far from my mind and told

myself to man the hell up.

Charlotte giggled as she eased me up gently from the bed. I both cringed from the touch

and frowned at her, not understanding her amusement.

Was she laughing at me? At my reaction to being handled? That wasn't like her…

She cleared her throat, nodding her head downwards slightly, towards my chest.

I glanced down and squinted, cocking my head to the side to read what was on

my…pyjama top? Shouldn't I have been in a hosp-

Oh for the love of Christ!

I was in a black tank top. Two guns were painted across my breasts. Beneath them,

written in bold red writing, with what appeared to be _blood droplets _dripping from the

letters: 'My boyfriends have guns. DO NOT fucking disturb!'

I didn't even want to know how.

I shook my head and sighed. Infants, all three of them.

Charlotte laughed again, "gotta hand it to them Bella, they are creative."

"Creative my ass," I grumbled as I weighted myself against Charlotte and stood up for the

first time since the accident.

My legs felt quite weak, a little jelly- like. Charlotte was careful in the way that she held

me, clearly avoiding my ribcage and opting to hold onto my hips instead. I stifled the

urge to shudder at having her hands on me. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. The problem

was me – not her. I didn't want to make her feel bad for my own nuttiness.

I managed two steps before I bit out a moan.

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Fuck - that hurt.

The dull throbbing that came with simply just breathing had intensified tenfold, my ribs

obviously making their protests over my walking movements _well known_.

"Bella hunny, are you ok? Oh God, I shouldn't have moved you. They'll yell at me! I'll

call Peter," Charlotte began hurriedly.

"No," I gasped out. "No Lottie, I'm fine. Really. Just…not used to it, that's all. Come on,

we're up now. And I do really have to pee!"

Really, really did!

"Okay then…" She was evidently unsure.

We went at a pace snails would have laughed at. But we made it into the attached

bathroom and Charlotte closed the door over a little. I felt winded.

That's when I looked at the toilet…and frowned.

Bit small, wasn't it? Kinda…low down?

"Uh, Lottie? I think I'm gonna need some help," I sent her an apologetic look.

She scoffed. "Bella, I've been a damn nurse for twelve years. Come on."

We walked – well, she walked; I let her drag me – to the toilet, where she shimmied my

bottoms down and helped me sit.

I think I blushed ten shades of red as I tinkled. Charlotte kindly turned around to face the

opposite wall and gave me a little privacy.

She helped me back into my bottoms, flushed the toilet and aided me over to the sink to

wash my hands.

I had just soaped up when I heard them.

"Fucking brilliant idea Emmett. Seriously - well fucking done!" Edward barked loudly.

I glanced over to Charlotte and raised my eyebrows. She shrugged, matching my

confusion.

"I thought it would work," Emmett defended moodily, sounding rather put out.

Jasper snorted, "y'know what Em, you can tell her. This one's all on you buddy!"

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Jaz sounded…amused. Highly amused but trying to keep it in check.

What was going on?

Emmett blew up. "I can't believe this shit! It was _supposed _to do some damage, scare the

little runt _at the fucking least_!"

Jasper lost it, his muttley sounding laugh as distinct as ever. "Yeah, Em, seriously brother

– you got screwed. I'd be demanding a refund!"

"A fucking refund?" Edward boomed. "Fuck the refund! We should be getting fucking

compensated! We're now fucking stuck with it! You're a _fucking idiot _McCarty!"

Five fuck/ings in one sentence. Hothead was pissed.

"HEY!" Emmett roared. "I didn't Goddamn know it would fucking happen, Okay?"

"No, Emmett. No. Not fucking OK! Get it? NOT O-KAY!" Edward fired back.

What in the world…?

Jasper sounded like he'd land himself in here with me the way he was laughing.

"Jasper shut the fuck up! This isn't funny!" Edward snapped. "And you," I presumed he

was 'talking' to Emmett, "you need to figure out how to tell Bella why you not only hired

a fucking _Rottweiler _to maul her puppy to death, you also need to explain why said snot

infested Rottweiler won't leave the damn house!"

He did _what_?

"I DIDN'T KNOW THE FUCKING MUTT WAS GONNA GO ALL GOOEY-GOOEY

GA-GA, HEAD OVER HEELS IN FUCKING LOVE WITH THE PRISSY LITTLE

BITCH, DID I?" Emmett exploded.

"Just can't catch a break, huh Em?" Jasper cracked up.

I gripped onto Charlotte and headed for the bathroom door. What had he done to Minnie?

Was she alright? He hired a vicious dog to attack my Minnie? A dog that was ranked,

what…second on the most dangerous list?

He _wouldn't_!

"Honestly Emmett, of all the moronic things you've ever done – this fucking tops the

list!" Edward scolded, I could actually hear his loafers slapping against the floor as he

paced. "That mongrel _will not _leave our house and fucking _Randy _is threatening to sue us

for compensation over the loss. And I quote, 'that there's my best dawg, you just cost me

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a lotta green boys.'" Edward twanged in what I think was supposed to be a southern

accent.

"Yeah, good 'un Em, we didn't want _a _dog, now we've got _two_!" Jasper snorted, trying to

swallow his laughter.

I pushed open the door with wide, bugged-eyes, startling the boys.

Jasper's cheeks blew up like a hamster's as he tried to contain his chuckles, Emmett

looked very guilty and Edward…what the hell was that on his jacket?

"Bella," Emmett started, his voice hitching up a couple of octaves. "We thought you'd

been taken away from some tests."

I shook my head slowly.

Nobody seemed to know what to do.

Everyone was silent.

It was during this brief pause that I fully took in my surroundings.

Eh?

I snapped out of my haze and processed everything I'd heard. I took a deep, steady breath.

"Emmett, why in the name of _God _would you want to attack my puppy? Why is there a

'The Little Mermaid' mural all over my room's walls and Edward? Why the hell are you

covered in…slime?"

Emmett let out a nervous whimper; I think it was supposed to be a laugh. "Well, Bella…"

he scratched the back of his head. "Funny story actually…"

Oh, this should be good.

I tried to wait patiently as Emmett looked everywhere but at _me_. Not a good sign. Bear

was…nervous.

I was growing antsy. And I felt kinda lightheaded. I needed to sit down. But I felt like I

exerted some _shred _of control over things if I was standing up, so I pushed past the

dizziness and opted to zap holes into the oaf using my new laser beam eyes.

Nothing had been said for a few minuets, and the atmosphere was growing heavy. The

other two clearly weren't for filling me in. They really were leaving this to Emmett to

explain.

135

I finally snapped when I just couldn't take it anymore. Answers would be nice – today.

"_Well_?"

Emmett cleared his throat roughly, "uh, well, you see…" he began eloquently.

Stuttering? My bear was stuttering? If my inner bitch hadn't already taken over, I think

my jaw would have dropped. He was really…tense. My boys were only ever tense when

something was really wrong, or I was attacking.

"Today Emmett, if you please. Some of us got shot the other day and are holed up in a

Goddamn hospital, not knowing what's going on!"

All three of them winced.

I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. But it was becoming increasingly

hard to channel my anger. Everything that had happened was just so…I didn't know how

to phrase it. Surreal? Stressful? Exhausting? Terrifying?

"See, uh…_Minnie_," he spat her name, "kinda like, doesn't really like me…and well…"

"…he thought he'd _rectify _the problem," Edward finished for him, glaring at Emmett.

I didn't like the way he'd said Minnie - like he _loathed _her. She was a charming little

thing, surely everyone saw that? Why was he being so hateful? And what in the name of

God possessed him to attack her?

"Rectify the problem? By using my little puppy as a chew toy for some viscous

mongrel?" I asked, dumbfounded. "No wonder she doesn't like you!"

"Thank you Edward," Emmett snarked. "And no offence baby, but your 'puppy' is a

fucking nutbag."

Yeah, alright then…

I rolled my eyes, "she's just a little dog, Emmett! Jeez…"

The big, bad grizzly was having problems with a tiny, pug puppy? That was too priceless

for words – or to believe.

His eyes narrowed into slits, "she's a fucking maniac! Why doesn't anyone believe me?"

"Probably because she's about three millimetres big, Em…" Jasper trailed off, grinning as

he bounced on his toes happily.

Jasper was really enjoying himself – for once, it wasn't Edward who'd put his foot in it.

This time, Emmett was getting the ripping…made all the funnier to Jasper because of the

136

'situation' and Emmett's sheer size. Then of course, there's bear's general 'I am man!'

attitude. If I wasn't so pissed off about the fact he'd tried to deliberately harm my puppy, I

probably would have been in Jaspers shoes laughing too.

"She destroyed my room!" Emmett defended.

Which gave him cause to have another dog _eat _her? Seriously? Poor little Minnie chews a

tennis shoe or two and gets sentenced to the damn noose?

I huffed. "Emmett, she's a _puppy_. They destroy anything they can get their teeth into. Just

shut your door!"

Edward's lips twitched as Emmett's glower turned on him. "No fucking shit! That

mongrel sent me _here _to get five stitches in my ankle and a tetanus shot – which had to be

administered in my fucking ass, _by the way_. That shit was just downright fucking

humiliating!"

Jasper lost it. He doubled over and began heaving with laughter. Even Charlotte had to

cover up a giggle by coughing.

"So yeah, thanks for the warning baby, but I'm well aware of the fact that she likes to sink

her teeth into shit – in this instance, it would be my juicy man flesh! And Cullen, I swear

to Christ, I'll wipe the damn smirk off your face if you don't loose it! Don't think I don't

know it was you who opened my door to let her in, you piece of _wank_!"

Edward winked at him, "prove it."

Emmett looked like he wanted to lunge, so I spoke quickly before he got the chance.

"What did you do to her to make her bite you in the first place, Emmett?"

He gaped at me. "Fucking nothing!"

I doubted that somehow. Minnie was a sweet little thing. He had to have antagonised her

somehow. I sent him a questioning look.

"I fucking swear – I didn't do anything to her! I went home and she attacked me!"

Jasper elbowed him playfully, "maybe you just smell all good to her and shit. Maybe this

is her way of telling you she likes you, like some fucked up mating ritual or something."

Emmett did react this time. He threw his own elbow right back into Jaspers stomach,

winding him.

"Fuck Em!" He wheezed out.

Oh hell no!

137

I moved without thinking, determined to give him a piece of my mind. What had they

agreed on not days ago about beating each other up? "Emmett Mc-"

_Ooohhh fuck_…

I gasped and clutched at my side as the pain began to dance its sadistic, merry dance. It

felt like my lung had just been _re_-punctured.

"Bella," Charlotte grasped onto me frantically.

Edward was right at my side within seconds, batting away Charlotte's hands and telling

her to 'be fucking careful.'

Ass.

"Edward…don't be…mean," I managed to stammer out.

Christ, it hurt to _breathe_.

He started to grumble about how she shouldn't be touching me in the first place and how

she should have called a doctor before moving me. If I thought it wouldn't have actually

_killed _me to have done it, I would have grabbed his balls and given him a lesson in

remembering his manners.

Jasper came running back into the room – when did he leave? – with a doctor hot on his

heels. Emmett came to help Edward with me but I reacted angrily and slapped his hands

away, ignoring the slicing pain the action caused.

"I'm angry…with you…we're not done…talking about…this…yet!"

I refused to back down to his hurt expression and opted to turn my face away, still

smacking at his persistent hands.

"Miss Swan really," the doctor began is a disapproving tone, "what on earth are you

doing up out of bed? What is this silliness all about?" He made a succession of four

tutting noises and he began snapping latex gloves onto his hands.

Oh good Lord…

Edward's head shot up, Emmett halted _his _attempts at ignoring _my _attempts of shrugging

him off and rounded on the doc, bringing himself up to full height and puffing out his

chest, and Jasper's eyes had clouded over into much darker territory.

"And why do we have so many people in this room? Two visitor's maximum, now –

who's leaving?" The doctor questioned, his back turned to us as he began to check over

my chart.

138

Stop talking, stop talking now…

Charlotte muttered an 'oh fuck' from behind me.

"Miss Swan your chart here says you haven't been up since you were brought in? Brought

in with three broken ribs and a lung that had collapsed, correct? And then two separate

surgeries? And you thought it wise to move without being checked over first?" Ok, as

bad as I felt for the guy who was about to get his ass handed to him – speaking to me like

I was three was a little unnecessary. Plus, I'd had Charlotte with me.

Edward began slowly stalking towards the doctor and Emmett came to stand in front of

me protectively.

"Edward," I warned.

Ass-doctor or not, I didn't want any violence.

"I don't think we've met," hothead started in a deathly calm voice. "I'm Edward Cullen,

and you are?"

"Dr. Pierce, and two of you still have to leave. Chop, chop! We don't have all day," he

responded pompously.

Oh _come on _Pierce, gimme something to work with here – some of us are trying to save

your _life_!

I was trying to reach my head around Emmett to see, but the big lug had cut me off from

view. I started poking him.

"Oh we're not going anywhere," Jasper cut in dangerously.

"Jasper don't you start as well," I tried my best to sound firm, y'know, in between painful

gasps.

"Hospital policy states that-"

The soon to be dead doc didn't get to finish his sentence. He suddenly came into

view…floating several feet above the ground, Edward's hand wrapped around his neck.

"I'll go call Peter," Charlotte squeaked and bolted from the room.

"I don't give a fuck about hospital policy you sack of shit!" Edward snarled. "You ever

speak to her like that again, I'm gonna cram that medical licence of yours up your ass and

wedge it between your intestines - permanently. Am I making myself clear?"

139

"Security! SECURITY!" Pierce started to shout, wiggling and kicking about in Edward's

grasp.

Jasper snorted, "security ain't got shit on us doc, they can't help you."

I didn't have to be looking at Emmett to know he was smirking.

I sighed.

Every time. Every Goddamn time! What is it with them and doctors?

"Edward put him down!" I ordered.

Ignored.

"Put him down Edward!"

Ignored again.

"Edward Anthony Cullen you put him down this instant or so help me, Minnie will be

introduced to your tie collection when I get out of here!"

Pierce got dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Emmett turned back to me slightly. "Baby, that was kinda harsh," he whispered.

"Shut up," I hissed. "I'm not talking to you!"

Edward was looking at me like a two year old who I'd just snatched candy from. "Bella!"

I glared at him.

The doctor was rolling around on the floor and gasping like a fish out of water. "I'll have

you locked up!"

Jasper booted him in the stomach, "shut the fuck up, stupid bitch!"

"Just once – _once_, do you think you could go a day without killing someone?" I was met

by three pairs of eyes, all telling me that that was quite possibly, _the _most unreasonable

thing I'd ever asked.

Edward's foot made contact with Dr. Pierces back, nudging him roughly. "He's still

alive," he stated moodily.

You see? You see what I have to 'work' with?

140

Peter came rushing into the room then, Charlotte closely following him. "Bella!" He

exclaimed brightly. "You're up sweetheart, how you feeling?" He asked – stepping over

Dr. Pierce.

"Just _nifty_," I responded tartly, staring daggers at the boys.

"Let's get yo u back to bed and checked over, shall we? Edward, a hand please?" Peter

indicated to Edward to help me. "Thank you Dr. Pierce, that'll be all."

Pierce didn't respond…with words. He made a strangled noise and began pulling himself

along the floor and towards the door.

Edward's hands wrapped affectionately around my hips as he aided me towards the bed,

his face leant down towards me to place a gentle kiss into my hair. Emmett followed

closely behind us. Jasper was taking great delight in kicking Dr. Pierce all the way to the

threshold.

"Jasper stop KICKING him!" I admonished as I was eased back onto the bed. "And

Edward, seriously, what the hell is that slime on your jacket?"

He made some offhand, mumbled comment about our new house guest being 'a snot-fuck

mutt.'

I decided to leave further questioning until later.

Jasper slammed the door shut, or at least…he tried. A pained cry sounded, indicating that

Dr. Pierce's foot hadn't quite made it over the threshold and had in fact, just been crushed

between the door and its frame. I cringed for him. That had to hurt. And from the sick

look on Jaspers face, it wasn't exactly an accidental move on his part.

"Oops," he sang, smiling a little too brightly for my liking as he managed to close the

door properly - this time.

I scowled. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," all three of the boys – and Peter, responded in perfect sync.

"They're rubbing off on you Pete, I'd run away now, before it's too late," I remarked

sarcastically.

He smiled cheerfully at me, "Bella hunny, believe me when I say, there's not one person

who works at this hospital that would be saddened to hear Neil Pierce got his ass kicked.

Now, how are those ribs feeling? Your shoulder hurt at all?"

I shook my head, "my shoulder's fine. Can't feel a thing. My ribs on the other hand -

Jesus, it hurts to breathe," I winced as he began poking and prodding.

141

I had the overwhelming urge to scream as I felt his skin meet mine. He gave me a

sympathetic look, apologising for the contact. Normally, Peter came to the house every

few months to do a check up on me. Most of the time, I had to be sedated. This time

however, I was seriously up the creek injury wise. I knew it was either Peter – who I had

known for a long time, and who had tended to my injuries when the boys first found me –

or some random, stranger doctor. Options weren't really a luxury I had right now.

So I bit my lip and held back my screams. Edward had taken one of my hands and was

rubbing soothing circles onto the back of it, trying to remind me that he was here, and

that there was no need to panic.

Everybody was quiet. All on edge, I guessed. Waiting for me to 'flip.' But if breathing

and small movements caused me the kind of pain I'd already experienced, attacking was

not something I wanted to sink into. I'd have to be careful, very careful. I'd have to look

up some…coping techniques whilst my body was healing. I was putting good money on

the house being 'people free' when I got back. No doubt the boys had already kindly

informed everybody to 'do one' for my arrival home.

Peter's fingers danced over a particularly tender spot, making me suck air in sharply

through my teeth.

Peter glanced up, "sore?"

I screwed my face up and tried to breathe through the discomfort. "Mmm hmm."

Edward squeezed my hand.

"Ok, here," Peter touched the spot again, fucking sadist, "is where we had to insert a tube

to release the air build up from your lung after it collapsed. In more…minor instances, a

surgical needle can be used, but yours kind of went to crap, so we had to do a sma ll

surgery. I don't know if Lottie went into details?" He raised his eyebrows in question. I

shook my head. "Alright, well, we had to get the air out for the lung to re-inflate; I took

the tube out myself last night once I was certain the lung could stand. We'll need to keep

an eye on you over the next few weeks, as it's not uncommon for the lung to have a

repeat collapse."

_Fabulous_.

I think I heard each one of the boys growl.

"Your shoulder is healing nicely. No major damage done. It will be tender for a while but

we'll keep you on your pain meds until you've ridden out the worst of it. I have some

light, daily exercises that I'd like you to do, it'll avoid any weakness and build the

strength back up – we don't want it going stiff from lack of use, okay?"

I smiled faintly and nodded. Just _all _good news today…

142

"Bella," he rubbed one hand over his mouth roughly, "I hate to have to tell you, but there

will be a little scarring from the wound – on both sides, the bullet passed straight through

you. To an extent, you were very lucky it did, we didn't have to fish it out of you. On the

other hand, there will be some permanent marks. You also sliced your head open…" He

trailed off, looking at Edward – not at me.

_Oh no_…

I closed my eyes and waited.

Things weren't bad enough already, clearly.

"It's very small, right next to your hairline. Nobody will ever be able to see it; your hair

_will _cover it sweetheart. But the injury was a little deeper in parts, and it will also very

likely scar. But it _will _be small, Bella."

Was that supposed to make me feel better?

The one place I'd managed to avoid any marks. It was the one place that had remained

'normal' – not depicting the horrors of the past. My face, whilst not beautiful, or perfect,

or special, was now tainted? And it was the one place that was always on show. My body

I could hide. My face - I could not.

"Bella? Baby, listen to us, honestly you really can't see it," Edward tried, stroking my

hair.

My _face_…

I could feel the tears beginning to prick at my eyes. The back of my throat began to ache

in that strange, uncomfortable way as I tried to desperately keep my emotions in check.

I didn't want to go into meltdown. Not here, not now.

Man up Swan, man up!

I cleared my throat and tried my best to look unaffected. But who was I kidding? I was

fooling nobody, not judging all of the sympathetic looks now being thrown my way.

I blinked rapidly to clear my eyes.

"Why is Sebastian the crab on my wall?" I asked shakily, in an attempt to deflect the

conversation elsewhere.

My _face_…

143

Peter looked down towards where Jasper was stood at the bottom of my bed, sending him

a 'this one's all you look.'

Jesus, what _now_?

"Darlin' we moved you to the children's ward, just to be safe," he smiled reassuringly.

Safe?

Oh right…the accident, and the shootout, and wait…

"Is something wrong?" I could feel my face paling.

Were things still bad?

Was this just the beginning?

Would it happen again?

"No sweetheart," Edward hushed soothingly. "Nobody's going to hurt you."

"Taken care of," Emmett piped up.

_Taken care of _– that was easily translated. They're all dead, then…

I didn't want to think about that either.

On one hand, I felt safer. On the other, I felt guilty. Really, really guilty. How many sons,

husbands, brothers had suffered…because of me?

_No_, _don't think about it_. _Flail yourself later_, _Swan_.

Something else…needed something else…another angle…deflect from face…

My eyes snapped to Emmett's.

He did that really irritating thing he does when he knows he's in trouble and wants to

avoid talking it out, and began finding one of the walls interesting.

"Minnie?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in question.

Emmett began chewing the inside of his lip and averted his eyes to the ceiling.

Such a man-child.

"Emmett?" I said, harsher this time.

144

No response.

Apparently, a certain somebody had been brought down by a sudden bout of selective

hearing. Which was just fine with me!

I had two others to work with…

I turned my head towards Edward and smiled sweetly at him, batting my lashes subtly.

"Hi," I whispered, trying to sound a little…seductive?

It may have come out slightly more croaky than I would have liked…

But he took the bait.

His eyes sparkled emerald green and a dopey grin painted his face. "Hi," he replied.

I heard jasper breathe out a 'fuck Em, you're in for it now…'

I titled my head slightly and brought my hand up to rest on Edwards, gently gliding my

fingers over the top of his. "Edward?"

Like butter wouldn't melt, if I do say so myself.

"Yeah baby?" He looked like he was in some kind of trance. I…don't know how I

managed it.

Allow me to paint a small picture for you…

Edward Cullen – a man made by God himself. Beauty personified. 6'2, muscles in all the

right places, incredibly wild, rich brown sex hair that can rarely be tamed, stunning green

eyes, full lips, a jaw you just want to nibble, silky smooth, pale skin, has a panty

dropping, crooked smile, an intense, panty dropping stare, can do things with his hands

that just the thought of…well, panty dropping…

Basically, we're talking about a guy who you simply look at and…so long knickers!

And here was I, plain, little Bella Swan…wielding my witchcraft over said being. I think

the word/sound/phrase I'm looking for is: nuyhumahuh? Roughly translated to: _what_?

I put on my best bashful act. "The slimy goo on your jacket…" I began coyly, "is it

something to do with what happened to my Minnie?"

_Bat the big doe eyes at him_! _Falls for it every time_!

Edward scowled and did some horse- like movement with his lips, making a bizarre

'flapping' sound. I'll admit to being surprised that a 'nay' didn't follow…

145

"Emmett didn't take well to Minnie," he shot a glare over in Emmett's direction. "So

naturally, Emmett being the intellectual that he is, thought it would be a good idea to hire

a slime ball dog from a security firm to come in and…eliminate the problem."

"He tried to kill my puppy?"

"NO!" Emmett yelled.

Ah, it speaks!

"No, I did _not _try to kill your puppy, baby. I just wanted to teach her a lesson, scare her a

little bit. That's all." His eyes were pleading with me to understand. But understand

freakin' what?

He tried to have my puppy hurt. Can I understand that? Not…_really_….no.

"And you couldn't have dealt with her yourself?" I scoffed. "She's a small puppy Emmett;

you have to train them to be good, to not to chew things!"

I didn't know whether to laugh or frown at the scared look he suddenly adopted. "Train

her? Are you _insane_? I've seen mafia members less lethal than her! There's no training

_that_!"

"What? So you decided to send the Beast of bloody Carthage in instead?" I asked

indignantly.

"No more Spartacus for you," Jasper winked at me.

I scowled at him.

"Emmett, Rottweiler's are dangerous dogs! You could have hurt her! It could have

_mauled _her!"

"Mauled her," he snorted. "Like it would make much difference, she already looks like a

foot."

Did he seriously just say that?

"And besides which, you've got nothing to worry about. Judas didn't hurt her," he

grumbled. "Lousy mutt…"

"Who the hell is Judas?" I half shrieked.

"Bella hunny, we…need to keep that blood pressure down sweetie," Peter gave me a

toothy grin that actually made him look like he was constipated.

146

"In a minute!" I snapped. "Who's Judas?"

Jasper made some snorted, throaty noise that indicated he was trying to stifle a laugh.

"The Rottweiler's name is Judas," Edward stated, rolling his eyes upwards and shaking

his head.

"Fucking fitting name…traitorous, bastard mongrel," Emmett muttered.

"So it _didn't _hurt Minnie?"

"Not unless licking has suddenly become painful," Jasper offered, his lips twitching

violently.

Was I missing something?

Edward seemed to sense my lack of understanding and came to my aid. "Judas

is…fond…of Minnie."

Fond of Minnie?

What the hell did that mean?

Jasper cleared his throat and tried to look serious – he didn't, by the way. "Judas likes

Minnie, Bella."

"What do you mean he 'likes' her?"

"Well, y'know, he likes her," Jaz prompted craply, shooting his eyebrows up at me.

Like getting blood from a stone, I swear! "And I like peanut butter sandwiches! I also like

you three, but it's a different feckin' like, Jasper!"

"Blood pressure, Bella. Blood pressure," Peter's voice began to fly up higher.

"Um, well, he won't leave the…" Jaz trailed off. "Wait the fuck a minute! Why am I

being left to explain this shit? Emmett, you moron! Feel free to step the fuck in!"

"No, no," Emmett waved him off. "You're doing fine." He scrunched his face up and gave

Jaz a nod.

Edward picked up a plastic water cup from my bedside table and hurled it at bear. "Grow

a pair, Em! This is all your fault!"

Emmett sighed. "Okay, well… Jude's supposed to be quite vicious, only…he's really,

really not. He's like a lovesick puppy. He really likes Minnie and wouldn't hurt her."

147

Words failed me.

Was I hearing this right? Surely not?

I mean…that's not natural!

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath, a habit that I'd caught from

Edward. "Emmett," I began slowly, trying to remain calm. "Are you trying to tell me, that

not only did you hire a ferocious _Rottweiler _to harm my puppy, but now said _Rottweiler_

intends to impale my tiny, unknowing, pug puppy in some sort of fucked up, little and

large, doggie mating ritual?"

Deep breaths Bella, deep, deep breaths…

"Ewww, gross Bella, no! He just really likes her. Like, he looks out for her and shit. He's

protective of her. It's friendly, not…that! Fuck, I think I need to bleach my brain!"

Well, that was a relief…kind of.

"It's more a kind of…brotherly thing, maybe?" Jasper asked the room in general. "They're

thick as thieves those two. I think it's more a companionship thing than anything else.

Problem is, Judas doesn't want to leave the house now. Em…tried to get him out." Jasper

coughed, though I think I head the words 'second tetanus shot in two days…'

Oh, well…that wasn't so bad, was it? Minnie had some company.

"Aw Bella, please no!" Edward cried as he watched my face closely. "Please baby, don't

make us keep him. You haven't seen him! The drool Bella, the Goddamn drool!" He

shuddered. "You know that film we watched at Christmas? _Christmas Vacation_? The dog

in it, Snot?"

I nodded.

"He's like that!" Edward looked like he was about to burst into tears.

I couldn't help it. I giggled.

Peter had to leave to do his rounds and Charlotte slipped out to check her work shifts.

The boys spent an hour trying to convince me that we needed to get rid of Judas. I wasn't

convinced. It sounded like he was hung up on Minnie, and if Minnie liked him, then I

wasn't about to rip them away from each other. Also, it kinda sounded like Judas _couldn't_

be taken away anyhow…

We'd agreed to leave the matter until I'd gotten home. That way I could see them together

and make a decision, though being honest, my mind was already set. But I had to pacify

the boys. Big babies.

148

The next hour after that was spent with the boys giving me a much watered down version

of everything that had happened, during and after the accident. Re- living it all and

hearing their accounts of it brought me to tears. And I had to rein it in pretty quickly,

before my anxiety got the better of me.

At around five in the afternoon, Charlotte popped her head through the door and asked if

I'd like to have a shower. I think I moaned just at the thought of it, earning chuckles from

everyone. But I felt horribly grimy. Edward promptly reminded me about the temperature

gage. I rolled my eyes at him.

The boys all kissed me goodbye sweetly and said they'd be back at seven, apparently Aro,

Laurie and James were desperate to see me. I felt all warm inside at the thought of us all

being back together. I felt like I hadn't seen them in forever.

My family.

The thought was homely, and welcome.

Charlotte came in and began sifting through bags and darting between the room and the

bathroom ladled with products.

All strawberry – I'd put money on it…

She laid a hold all onto my bed for me to pick some things out myself. I took a pair of

clean pyjamas from my bag and relished the thought of being in them after my shower.

That was, until I looked at what was written on the top…

'_I stop at three – jog the fuck on_.'

Had they bought a fucking t-shirt printing machine that I didn't know about or

something?

Jesus!

**Hope you liked it, let me know your thoughts :)**

**Teaser for chapter nine will be up shortly.**

Chapter 9

**S. Meyer owns Twilight. I do not. I'm aware of the injustice. I am. No stealing.**

**Thanks for all reviews and added alerts/favs – you all rock.**

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**Here's a quick one I just…banged out randomly today…why not says I :)**

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**DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE POLL – I'LL BE CLOSING IT ON THE**

**30TH, AND AT THE MINUTE IT'S TIED BETWEEN TWO. I'M ONLY FOR**

**WRITING *ONE* OF THE CHAPTERS…**

_Chapter Nine_

_Bella_

Days since last episode: eleven.

A record if ever there was one…

Something brushed over my hair, snapping me from my musings and causing a small

shudder to run through me as my scalp prickled from the sensation.

I sucked air in sharply through my teeth as I registered the slight scolding feeling in my

palms and fingers, and released the steaming coffee mug from my tight grasp.

Fingers wound around my hands and lifted them, inspecting them closely.

"Hmm," a smooth voice began. "So not only will they beat me to a bloody pulp for

allowing you to be out of bed, they'll get in a few extra kicks for the damage."

I rolled my eyes and squeezed his hands, "you know, for a man who's about to turn fifty

six, you sure are silly."

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Who's being silly?"

I scoffed. "Pft! They'd never hurt you, they love you too much – you know that."

He smiled and shook his head slowly, "Bella sweetheart, those boys are above God

himself when it comes to you. Nobody is safe," he winked.

I didn't want to acknowledge the truth in his words, so instead I smirked. "I won't tell if

you don't."

"Sounds good to me…I like my face sans broken jaw."

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He released my hands and made his way over to the large, stainless steel freezer and

opened the door. I exaggerated a sigh when I saw him pull out two frozen gel pads. Talk

about an overreaction.

"How's your side feeling angel?" He asked sweetly, as he placed the two pads onto each

of my hands gently.

_Frozen _gel pads – for warm hands.

Gah!

I waved him off awkwardly, attempting to keep hold of the pad at the same time. "It's

fine. Just no sudden movements or deep breaths and I'm just dandy."

He frowned, looking at the door. "You shouldn't be out of bed, you need to rest…"

I'd stayed in hospital for a week and had been home for eight days now – I'd done nothing

_but _rest.

I had to stop his line of thought right there. "Aro, I've stayed in bed for over two weeks.

And as much as I love _my _bed, eight days in it has me going insane staring at the walls.

Please," I begged with my eyes.

He looked torn, but I could see him beginning to melt under my pleading stare.

3…

2…

1…

"Oh very well, but you're to stay on that barstool, no moving, alright?"

Bingo!

I beamed at him, "deal."

I think I heard him growl. "Are you hungry? Where's Maggie?"

Ah, Maggie…

I smiled inwardly; it was so obvious that he had a soft spot for her.

"The boys gave her some time off, she went to see her sister…I think," I shrugged.

The news didn't seem to make him happy.

151

"So Edward's been living off of Chinese take out and cigarettes, Emmett's had his head

stuck in a bag of Cheetos and Jasper's been feeding you nothing but celery and grapes,

then?"

I nodded, "pretty much."

He tutted and started grumbling about 'not feeding his princess well enough.'

He went to the pantry and came out laden with packets of this and that, set them onto the

counter and went to fridge, retrieving some chicken and broccoli.

I loved to watch Aro cook. It was such an interesting contrast to observe. There he was,

suited to the nines in the finest of Italian wares, holding himself tall and proud, wrapping

Maggie's pale green 'COOKING MAMA' apron around himself with familiar finesse.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He asked as he filled a pot with water and set it

down to boil. He sprinkled a generous amount of cooking salt into the pot and began

opening a packet of farelle pasta.

Ah salt, how I have missed thee…

Jasper would be throwing a fit right about now; he had a no salt policy. Scrooge.

I threw the gel pads onto the island counter top and propped my elbows up, resting my

chin into one of my hands. "Your Birthday, what do you want to do?"

"Bella," he sighed. "Focus on getting better, please. My Birthday is of little consequence

right now." He added the pasta to the water and began chopping up the broccoli.

I wasn't having that.

"Don't be ridiculous! We have to do something, what would you like to do?"

He turned to give me a pointed stare, not once stopping his attack on the broccoli. In fact,

I think it became more brutal. "What I would like is for you to get well and not stress

yourself with nonsensical planning."

I levelled his gaze. "You can either tell me what you'd like or I'll just go right on ahead

and think of something myself. And I'm thinking BIG! And sparkly. Ooooo, and an Elvis

impersonator! Yeah, we could have everybody dress up as Elvis!"

I think I saw his face pale.

Aro loathed the 'glam' that surrounded Elvis- mania. Thought it ruined 'perfectly good

music.' I'd just described his worst nightmare.

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"You wouldn't," he challenged.

"Hey, a girl can only work with what she's given," I began picking imaginary flint off my

dress.

He added the broccoli to the pot and placed a wok onto another burner, tipping some oil

in to it to heat up. He began crushing a mix of what looked like almonds, garlic and

peppercorns together.

"I honestly don't want a big fuss, angel. And I certainly don't want you going to the

trouble of organising anything." He tipped the chopped up mix into the wok and the oil

began to spit and sizzle.

"Alright, well how about a small family dinner? We could do it here if you'd prefer?" I

pressed.

"Sounds fine, I'll speak to Maggie. She can arrange it all and prepare some food."

Oh no, no…

"No, Maggie will be joining us, she's part of this family and shouldn't have to do all the

work," I said firmly.

"Bella," he breathed, throwing his knife down onto the counter and pressing his hands

down to look at me. "I will not have you overexerting yourself. Maggie can handle

everything."

He reached for a packet of chicken and tore it open, walking to the sink to wash it off.

"That's not fair on Maggie. You can't expect her to cook for _everyone _singlehandedly and

then have her join us once everything's been ladled out!" I protested.

"Then I'll find her some help. End of discussion." He cast a 'look' at me over his shoulder,

indicating the conversation was no longer up for debate.

That was fine; I'd speak to Maggie myself and re-arrange everything. Poor woman.

Aro walked back to the chopping board and began slicing the chicken breast, chucking

them into the wok as he worked.

"Now, about Emmett…" He trailed off, stirring the contents of the wok, and then the pot

of pasta.

I deflated instantly, my mood plummeting.

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Aro set the wooden spoon down, turned to face me and crossed his arms over his chest.

"He's been in a sulk for two weeks, sweetheart. He's insufferable when he's moping."

"He should stop being an ass then," I grumbled childishly.

Aro nodded in understanding. "You know what he's like, Bella. But all that asides, this

isn't _entirely _his fault."

"I know, and I've apologised for Minnie's behaviour. But still, a Rottweiler, Aro? Man

alive!"

"I know, I know. I've had words with him about that. His actions were unacceptable.

More so given the circumstances surrounding you getting her, but now that Jude's staying

as well, I think he's feeling a little pushed out. And we both know that's what the boys

feared most about you getting a pet." He turned to begin slicing up a large orange and

squeezed the juice onto the chicken.

"He's pushing himself out," I argued. "The longer he goes on acting like a petulant child

and not accepting _any _responsibility, the longer I'm gonna stay pissed."

Aro walked to the bin and discarded the orange peel before making his way back over to

the sink to wash the sticky residue from his hands.

"And it's not only that, saying sorry is one thing, but treating the dogs with the disdain

that he does has to go too," I added.

Aro chuckled. "Ah Emmett, he's the original man-child, I swear."

I could hardly argue that.

Aro added some wholegrain mustard to the chicken and stirred it all in. He drained the

pasta and broccoli and added the chicken mix to it before dishing it all up.

It was delicious.

I was eating real food, yes – real food, Whitlock, for the first time in over two weeks. I

missed Maggie. I made it halfway into my second portion before feeling like I was ready

to explode.

Aro was loading the dishes into the dishwasher when the kitchen door swung open wildly

and Minnie and Jude bounded through, followed by a harassed looking James.

"Those dogs are mental," he snarked as he came over to me and kissed the side of my

head, laying the leashes onto the counter. "And you, little lady, should be in bed."

I smiled up at him, "needed some new scenery."

154

He nodded in understanding and began to shake out of his jacket. "Something smells

good."

Minnie and Jude seemed to take their eyes off each other long enough to notice I was in

the room and made straight for me. James bent to scoop Minnie up and placed her on the

counter in front of me. Jude's large head slumped into my lap.

I began to stroke the soft hair on Jude's head as Minnie lavished me with slobbery licks. I

scrunched my face up and let her at it. "I missed you too!" I laughed.

She'd grown whilst I was away, something I was still kinda sad about missing. Jude was

just a total beast of a dog. He was very protective, but also incredibly loving to those

around him. Edward didn't like him much. Jude had taken to growling at him whenever

he switched the TV channels over - after I'd fallen asleep. According to Jude, asleep or

not, Edward was not to switch my programmes off…at all.

Good dog…

Poor Edward…

"Right sweetheart, I've got a meeting at one so I need to get going. I mean what I said –

rest!" Aro removed Minnie from the counter and set her back down on the floor. He

kissed my cheek and brushed his fingers lightly over the opposite side of my face.

The dogs went and settled into the large bed we'd gotten them - they wouldn't sleep apart.

I smiled warmly at him. "Okay, thanks for lunch."

"Hmm, ips delifush," James mumbled around a mouthful of the pasta he was now

devouring…straight from a Tupperware box.

Aro rolled his eyes darkly and gave my forehead a parting peck. "You," you motioned to

James, "I need a minute. You take care angel; James will see you back to bed as soon as

I'm finished with him."

That sounded a little ominous to me, I hope James wasn't in trouble. Aro was still being

hard on him after the accidental kitchen incident weeks ago.

They both left, leaving me and my two sleepy dogs alone in the large kitchen.

I decided I felt like curling up on the sofa with some hot coco, so I cautiously edged

myself off the barstool and limped my way over to the express hot drinks maker. I took a

mug from the holder and placed it under the nozzle, pressing the button for coco.

The kitchen door suddenly slammed shut, making me jump three feet in the air and doing

nothing for my healing ribs.

155

I turned to find Emmett scowling as he marched further into the room, that was…until he

clapped eyes on the two dogs now staring at him from their bed. I shook my head as I

watched his whole demeanour change, and he began to back himself flush against the

side counter and move slowly sideways, never taking his eyes from the dogs.

The machine bleeped three times, indicting that my coco was ready. I removed the mug

and began to slowly move towards the fridge for some milk.

"What in the name of fucking Christ are you doing up Bella?" Emmett moved with

purpose towards me and took the mug from my hands, setting it down. "Why are you out

of bed?"

"I had lunch with Aro," I shrugged and tried to move around him, but he moved with me,

halting my efforts.

I wanted to growl.

"What the hell's he playing at? He knows you shouldn't be up!"

For the love of _God_…

"I asked him to come over and discuss his Birthday, for your information!" I snapped.

"Fucking hell Emmett! I'm not an invalid. I don't recall Peter saying I had to stay chained

to the damn bed for six weeks!"

"No, he said you needed to rest!" He countered

"Yes, rest. Which I've done nothing other than for two weeks! I was sat down the whole

time, now excuse me." I tried to walk around him again, but he cut me off.

That was gonna get annoying pretty fast.

"What is it you need?"

I huffed indignantly, "the milk, which I can get by myself."

He snorted. "Like that's gonna happen. You need to get back to bed. C'mon, I'll get you

up."

I batted his hands away, "I need the milk, excuse me."

He ran a hand through his hair, "Bella, stop being difficult!"

Difficult?

"I just want the damn milk Emmett! How is that being 'difficult'?"

156

"Because you shouldn't be up!" He fired back at me. "You'll set yourself back if you

overdo it, now will you please let me get you to bed?"

"I don't want to go to bed!" I barked. "I want the milk, so I can have my coco, which I

want to drink, on the sofa, whilst watching a film…is that alright with you, Dr stick up

his ass about everything?"

He gasped. "I _do not _have a stick up my ass about everything!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "oh _really_?"

"Uh, yeah, really!" He shot back, his eyes bulging from their sockets.

I drew myself up to stand straighter. "Oh-freakin'-_really_?"

He leant in towards me, "oh- freakin'-yeah-_really_!"

I leant in towards him; our noses were only a centimetre apart. "Woof, _freakin' woof_!"

He cowered back and scrunched up his nose, like he'd just smelt something truly awful.

"See!" I yelled victoriously.

Emmett scoffed. "That doesn't count!"

"It SO fucking _does_!" I countered.

"It SO fucking _does not_!" He shot back.

I raised my eyebrows, "it does and you know it!"

"It's a moot point anyway, seeing as the mutt still needs to _go_!"

Yeah, likely…

"The dog stays Emmett." I stated firmly.

I, Bella Swan – was putting my foot down.

He groaned childishly, "awww Bella, come on! Be reasonable. We can't keep him – he

doesn't belong to us!"

I scoffed. "Correction McCarty – he _didn't _belong to us. Now he does."

"But he's all drooly and shit! Every time I sit down I'm in a puddle of slobber. It's gross!"

157

"Serves you damn right!" I snapped. "Are we forgetting why he's even here in the first

place? This is _your _fault Emmett! So grow the fuck up and learn to live with it!"

"But you've already got Satan over there, you don't _need _another dog!" He argued.

Christ, was he gonna come at me from every angle on this? Again? And my Minnie was

not Satan!

"Her name is Minnie!" I screeched, throwing my hands up in frustration, completely

forgetting my sense and wincing as pain lashed through my side. Why did he always have

to use derogatory terms when talking about her? "And besides which, she's attached to

him now, and there's no way Jude's gonna leave her. It'd be cruel to separate them."

"_No_, what's cruel is the fact that my toilet has now become his personal watering hole and

my bed's nothing more than a luxury shitting spot for _her_!" He fired back. "My room's

become a fucking doggie meet and greet for various bodily functions!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Emmett, I'm not arguing about this anymore. It's no longer

up for discus-"

"The hell it's not! We're not keeping him!"

Did he just cut me off?

He damn well cut me off!

_Son of bitch_!

"Yes, we are," I shot back, my voice hardening.

I wasn't getting rid of Jude. It would be like asking me to get rid of Minnie – not

happening.

"This isn't just your house Bella! You can't make all the damn rules!"

Well that was just laughable. Make all the rules – I fucking wish!

"Asides from that being utter bullshit Emmett, the same would apply to you. Did you take

into account how everyone else would feel about you bringing in a damn Rottweiler to

shred a tiny puppy to pieces? Did you consider my feelings at all? You're the _only one_

being difficult about this, simply because you're not getting your own way. So don't you

stand there and imply that _I'm _the one being selfish! The fact of the matter is Jude's here

because of you. He doesn't want to leave Minnie. He stays. _End_. _Of_." I began to hobble

away, tired of listening to his infantile demands.

158

Minnie and Jude clambered out of their bed and followed right after me. Minnie on my

left side, snuggling into my leg, and Jude on my right, his head gently nudging my hand

in a reassuring gesture.

This was basically how Emmett and I had been since I got home and laid eyes on Jude.

All we'd done was argue and stomp away from each other - well, he stomped, I was too

crippled to stomp. I kinda limp-dragged my ass away pathetically.

I didn't like it. I think for the first time ever, I truly found myself at odds with Emmett.

For someone who was usually so laid back and agreeable, he sure was being an

insufferable dick about the dog situation. And I was just so royally pissed off with him

that I was not for backing down. His lack of acceptance over the part he had played in all

of this incensed me beyond reason.

"Mutt's not staying!" He bellowed after me.

Yeah, we'd see about that.

"I'm getting a cat too!" I threw back immaturely.

A big, white, fluffy one that would shed all over the place. Jude's drool could act as the

glue to stick the fur to his moronic ass!

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" He hollered.

"YOU'RE IN THE DAMN MAFIA! THAT CAN BE ARRANGED!"

James chose this particular moment to walk back through the front doors. He spotted my

pathetic ass trying to drag its way along the wall and ran straight to me.

"Bella baby, what are you doing? Why didn't you wait for me?" He began to fuss.

"I'M SOOOO TELLING EDWARD AND JASPER THAT YOU WERE UP!" Emmett

shouted

Git.

James frowned in the direction of the kitchen doors, "you and Em sorted stuff out then?"

He jabbed.

That made me snort.

He lifted my arm and placed it around his body for support, "where to princess?"

God bless James Shott.

159

"Living room," I smiled sadly. "I was gonna watch a movie."

James grinned at me, "movie sounds great. Which one do you wanna watch?" He began

slowly walking me through the entrance parlour and into the living room. The den would

have been the better option for a film, but I didn't have the energy to make it up the stairs

right now.

"Nothing too funny, Edward put on _The Hangover _yesterday and I swear, I think I broke

rib number four."

James bit out a chuckle. "Gotta love Alan, huh?"

"Not with broken ribs, no!" I beamed up at him.

He gently eased me down onto my favourite sofa. "So what's it to be?"

I bit my lip, "are you busy?"

He cocked his head to the side and gave me a sympathetic, knowing look, "I'm all yours

till Laurie gets in baby girl."

That lifted my spirits a little. I hadn't really spent much time with either James or Laurie

since I got home. None of the boys wanted to leave me, so they'd had everyone else

running around to get stuff done for them. But all three of them had 'mob crap' to sort out

themselves, so after a week, I'd demanded they get to it. It was their 'first day' back today.

"Okay, how about a bit of _Calamity_?"

"OH! God choice," he held his hand down for me to high five him. James and I loved to

watch old western movies together. It was our 'thing.' "Right, we need popcorn, blankets

and pillows. You wanting anything sweetie?"

"I left my coco in the kitchen," I grumbled.

"On it!" James called back as he strode from the room.

Ten minutes later, I'd been bundled carefully into a lying position with my head resting

against a pillow placed on James' lap, with my dogs at my feet, the music from _Calamity_

_Jane _blaring loudly through the room, sipping my coco.

"James?"

His head moved downwards to look at me.

"Can I have a smoke?"

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"Sure, but you found the packet, agreed?" His eyes glinted mischievously.

I grinned back as he lit a cigarette and passed it to me.

A few tokes in and Emmett's booming voice rang out.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY FUCKING SMOKING IN THERE?"

Humph.

"YEAH! I'M ALSO WATCHING PORN – YOU SHOULD INVEST IN SOME BABY

OIL BEAR, THEIR ABS LOOK A-MAZING!"

James cracked up with silent laughter as Emmett began to grumble incoherently.

"James?"

"Yeah baby girl?" He managed to say in between chuckles.

"Hard life, huh?" I smirked, toking on my cigarette and passing it to him for a draw.

The embers glowed bright orange as he took a drag, his eyes creasing as he smiled. "Oh

yeah…"

'_Here's the man the Sheriff watches_

_On his gun there's more than twenty-seven notches_

_On the draw there's no-one faster,_

_And you're flirting with disaster,_

_When Bill Hickok's reputation you malign._

_And I'm glad to say he's a very good friend, of a friend of mine.'_

My foot began to tap along with the music happily as the introductory song came to a

close.

My eyes flickered open sleepily. I had the odd sensation of being watched come over me,

and it unnerved me.

I swiped clumsily at my face and had to resist the urge to stretch, which, as I'd discovered

several times before, meant very painful things for my healing body.

"You were watching PORN?"

I jumped at the sound of a very angry, very irritable voice.

Edwards looming figure was stood ove r me, looking incredibly pissed off but good

enough to eat.

161

"Huh?"

"PORN, Bella? Really? Fucking PORN?"

_What_?

Had he taken a step off the crazy train or something? Or was I just not fully awake and

getting confused?

"What are you talking about?" I whispered roughly, my voice hoarse from sleep.

"_And _you were smoking? _And _you're not in bed? Are you _trying _to kill yourself?"

Definitely not asleep, just Edward…

"Did you hit your head today or something? What are you _talking _about, Edward?"

He growled, "Emmett said-"

I groaned, "of course, Emmett…"

"Is it true?" He snapped.

Oh…wait the fuck a minute!

"Okay, one – if you're gonna talk to me like that, then I'm done listening. Two – good

evening to you, too. And three, is what true? The porn thing, the smoking thing or the out

of bed thing?"

"Well the last doesn't need much fucking explaining, does it? Clearly you're not in bed –

where you should be!" He barked.

_Where I should be_?

Can't say I didn't warn him…

I threw off my blankets and sat up carefully. I managed to scoot to the edge of the sofa

and hoist myself up to a standing position.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Edward thundered.

Sweet Jesus, what the hell had gotten into him? I don't think I'd ever heard him be so

directly…well…Edward, to me before.

162

I did my best to shove my way past him, and made my way towards the living room door,

completely ignoring him. If he wanted to be an ass, he could go find another victim. I

wasn't playing.

"Bella, I'm talking to you!"

I hobbled my way through the door and out into the entrance parlour, where I found

Emmett, Jasper and Laurie having a heated discussion.

"BELLA!" Edward shouted furiously.

Three heads jerked up suddenly, all looking straight at me. I kinda felt like a burglar

who'd been caught leaving a house with prized possessions. They all looked so…mad.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Edward.

"Why are you up, again?" Emmett.

"Edward why is she up?" Jasper.

"I thought she was on bed rest?" Laurie.

_All _at once.

_She_?

_You_?

Uh…huh?

I had the urge to cover my ears from the verbal onslaught.

"Fuck off Jasper! She's ignoring me!" Edward.

"Bella you need to be in bed!" Emmett.

"You're a fucking tool, Edward. Can't you get one little thing right?" Jasper.

"Should she be walking around?" Laurie.

_She_?

Why were they all yelling?

"Fuck. You. Don't you start putting shit on me!" Edward.

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"Why the hell not? You've not done a single thing right all damn day!" Jasper.

"Like you're one to talk, Jasper. Bella – bed!" Emmett.

"Like you're fucking one to judge Emmett, you useless sack of shit!" Jasper.

My breathing started to accelerate at an alarming rate. What the hell was going on? Why

was everyone so angry?

"Shouldn't someone put her to bed?" Laurie.

_Her_?

"I'm trying to!" Edward.

"And failing, as per fucking usual!" Jasper.

"Wouldn't have gone fucking wrong in the first place if you two would just pay fucking

attention!" Emmett.

"Bella go to bed!" Edward.

I blanched. I felt like I'd just been slapped across the face…hard. Edward had _never_

spoken to me like that before. None of them had. I was being spoken to like some kind of

errant child.

"Go piss up a rope Emmett! Don't go acting like this is all our fault, you played your own

part _beautifully_, fucking dick!" Jasper.

"Like you were any better!" Edward.

"Edward, don't even get me fucking started on your miserable ass!" Jasper.

"No one would have fucked up if it wasn't for you two!" Emmett.

"Emmett, you're the one who let him get away!" Edward.

Who got away?

What was happening?

"Bella, you were told to go to bed!" Jasper.

Jasper said that?

_Jasper_?

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I couldn't help it, I couldn't. I burst into tears. It was too much.

Emmett and I were already at odds as it was. But now Edward and Jasper were mad at me

too? And Laurie was saying little or nothing?

It was…new…and unfamiliar…and unwelcome.

Jasper had never so much as raised his voice to me before, and now he was demanding

me about like a…? Like a what? A naughty little girl?

I limped backwards, feeling the wall eventually hitting my back. I wanted to dissolve into

it. To get away. Far, far away. This wasn't my family. These weren't my boys. These

were strangers.

Had it finally happened?

Had they finally realised I was too much work? Were they fed up of me? Had I finally

pushed them all too far, pushed them away? Had they realised I wasn't enough, just like

I'd always told myself…told them?

_Oh God_, would they send me back?

I slid my body down the wall, my butt falling unceremoniously to the ground with a thud

and my ribs screaming at me in protest. They were still yelling at each other, but the

diction had fled. My brain could recognise the noise, but not the actual words. What I did

recognise fully was the sound of my heart thundering, my breathing speeding, and the

panic seeping.

Days since last episode: 0.

Some things are just too good to be true…

**Thoughts? Would love to hear them :)**

**Hope everyone's had good weekends!**

Chapter 10

**Twilight is sadly in the clutches of one Stephanie Meyer, I own nothing. Please don't**

**pinch my plot though. I work hard on this story.**

**A/N: I have had, quite possibly, the **_**worst **_**week that I can clearly remember – ever.**

**It's been actual **_**shite**_**. I know I'd told a few people in PM's that I had hoped to get**

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**Here's chapter ten…**

_Chapter Ten_

_Jasper_

We fucked up. Bad. And I'm not referring to the first fuck up of the day. No. I'm referring

to the 'we just put our girl into a catatonic state' fuck up. Yeah…that one.

Allow me a brief moment to express my feelings on the matter in a very Edward/Emmettesque

style…

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

She was like…nothing we'd ever seen before.

This one was different. Too different. For the first time since we'd rescued Bella, we'd

actually feared for her mental state and had to call in medical help. We couldn't…deal

with it ourselves. She was completely unresponsive. She hadn't 'fitted' in her usual way.

There was no panic. No breathing difficulties. No fight. There was nothing.

None of us could even say how long she'd been like it before we'd noticed something

wasn't right. One minute we were all arguing, stressed by the events of the day, and the

next, Laurie had called out to her, once, twice, a third time…nothing.

We'd all turned to find Bella slumped on the floor, leaning against the wall and staring

into space. That was it. She was still. Her breathing was a little off, but other than that…

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There sat Bella…but there was no Bella at home.

I'd been the first to get to her. She was barely blinking. She said nothing. The occasional

tear leaked from her eyes, but she made no movements. And we hadn't been able to snap

her out of it.

Peter had been in her room with Aro for over an hour now. On one hand, we were all

eager to hear that she was alright, hear what Peter had come to conclude. On the other

hand, we were all nervous about Aro's reaction. He was going to _maim _us.

And with rightful cause. It was entirely our fault. _We _had done this to her.

Bella wasn't like us. She wasn't hardened to our way of life the way we were. She

couldn't undergo the stress of it without eventually snapping. Something had to give. In

this case, she'd upped ship but weighed anchor. Her body was present, but she'd fled her

mind.

She hadn't come back to us.

Twenty minutes later, Peter surfaced from Bella's room. His expression was grim. He

said nothing to us. He simply walked by and…left.

Aro soon followed, closing the door over gently until the 'click' sounded out. He turned to

face us, and I'd never wished for a time machine more than _right now_. It wasn't a pleasant

sight before us.

"Office, _now_!" He stalked off, not even waiting for us.

We followed slowly, like men walking death row. But instead of the memories of a nice

steak dinner to offer us some form of comfort, all we had was the overwhelming guilt

chomping away at us, for what we'd done to our Bella.

Rather than turning to go down the stairs, Aro kept walking along the corridor towards

the slightly smaller study we kept up here. We'd put it in for Bella. She'd needed a

workspace for her home studies, and we'd all thought that making her share with us in

ours was a little unreasonable. Edward usually made a hell of a lot of noise when he was

in. He also ordered a lot of people dead. Not…quite the working environment we wanted

for baby girl.

Aro flung open the door and batted a section of the wall where the light switch lay. He

strode over to the desk and set his hands down, glaring at us as he hunched over the

wood. I think Edward, Emmett and I all gulped audibly as we lined up inside the room,

like prisoners in a firing line.

Aro cocked his head to the side, "you have thirty seconds to explain before I put a bullet

in each of you!" He snarled.

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"Jacob got aw-" Emmett attempted.

Aro's face morphed into something akin to a Halloween special. "I DON'T GIVE A

_FUCK _ABOUT JACOB BLACK!" He roared. "WHAT I CARE ABOUT IS THAT

POOR GIRL LYING IN THAT BED! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE

_DONE_?"

I flinched.

Yes we knew. We had messed up on a monumental scale. And none of us knew how the

hell to right it. I think we were all too ashamed of ourselves to even want to try right now.

We just wanted to cower away like a bunch of thrashed dogs.

"_Peter_," Aro spat, "wants to put Bella forward for a psych analysis!"

_Oh _fuck…

Edwards head jerked upwards so quickly, I'm not quite sure how it was still attached to

his neck. "No, she can't. If he puts her forw-"

Aro cut him off. "No shit Sherlock! Yet you failed to think about any consequences

earlier!"

"We weren't thinking," Emmett began quietly. "We were just so mad that he got away…"

Aro swiped a hand across his forehead. "To what EXTENT, Emmett? Your actions have

resulted in damaging the reason behind the fucking fight in the first place! Damn fools…

She's completely unresponsive!"

"Will she be alright?" Edward asked, his face tinged a little green.

Aro threw his arms up wildly. "Oh, now you care? NOW? Act first, think later - is that

it?"

Emmett suddenly grew to full height, puffing out his chest…defensive. His eyes blazed

as he bit out words – with _zero _consideration for whom they were being aimed at.

Stupidity was apparently running rife through each of us today. "Of course we fucking

_care_! Christ Almighty Aro! What, you think we were angry over loosing Jacob because

we missed the fucking _kill_? We're trying to protect Bella! We wanted him to keep her

safe! It's _all _for Bella!"

Aro jabbed a finger roughly in Emmett's direction, his expression dangerous. "You back

the fuck down boy, I mean it. You're on shit list number one as it stands."

"THEN DON'T STAND THERE AND IMPLY WE DON'T GIVE A FUCK!" Emmett

boomed.

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If there was ever a time for Emmett to just shut up and be quiet, it came about thirty

seconds ago. Nobody spoke to Aro like that.

"'Stand there and imply we don't give a fuck'," Aro mimicked harshly. "You didn't 'give a

fuck' though, did you? Any of you? Am I correct in hearing that not only did none of you

notice Bella's reaction, but that you all yelled at her? YELLED AT BELLA? Have you

COMPLETELY lost control of your senses?"

"We were wound up about Black slipping through. She was out of bed when she should

have been resting, we just snapped!" Emmett tried to defend.

I was surprised he was bothering.

We snapped when we shouldn't have. You don't snap around Bella. You just can't. _She_

_can't _handle it. When it comes to Bella, no matter what's going on – everything in the

world has to be happy, and nice, and calm. She _cannot _be stressed. She doesn't cope with

stress.

So not only had we failed in shielding her from 'our world' - letting her see that

everything was definitely _not _OK, we'd also let our emotions get in the way and turned

them on Bella.

I was disgusted with myself. Emmett could stand there and try to defend our actions all

he wanted, but I certainly wouldn't. If Aro decided to put a bullet in both my kneecaps,

I'd take it without complaint. I deserved it. We all did.

But I knew Emmett better then I knew myself at times. He wasn't defending himself - any

of us - because he knew he was knee deep in cack. He just felt so damn bad about it that

this was his reaction. His natural response was to get defensive, more so because this was

_Bella _we were talking about. You'd have thought it would have been Edward who blew

up, he was the one with the vile temper. But Edward just looked…ill. Yeah, ill. Emmett

would argue, Edward would stand there and look as though he was one step away from

vom central, and I…I didn't need to say or do anything. I knew we'd fucked up bad. I'd

remain rooted to the spot, take the verbal lashing and then try and put things right.

"NOT WITH BELLA YOU DON'T!" Aro raged as his fists clenched at his sides. He took

a deep, calming breath, exhaling loudly. "I thought you knew better," he whispered as he

closed his eyes and used his fingertips to rub over the lids.

Emmett glowered, "right, 'cause you never made a mistake with Sully? You were

practically perfect in every way were you? Fuck me; we've been working under Mary

fucking Poppins all this time!"

Oh Jesus…

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Edward cut in before we had time to witness Aro blowing Emmett's brains across the

carpet. He sure looked like he was going to, y'know, what with him suddenly pointing a

gun straight at Em. "I think what Emmett is _trying _to say, is that we never meant for this

to impact on Bella. We never _meant _for this to happen. We just got so pissed about Black

ge-"

"FORGET ABOUT BLACK! HE'S NOTHING BUT A FLY IN A LARGE HEAP OF

SHITE!" Aro shouted, tossing his pistol onto the desk.

_Okay_, _he's put the gun down_…still has a knife attached to a strap on his right calf and a

second gun holstered on his left side…so long as Emmett shuts the fuck up, we may

make it out of here…alive.

We were getting nowhere. We'd just keep going round and round in circles like this until

a gun was _fired_. There were too many egos in the room.

"We need to focus on Bella." I spoke for the first time.

Aro scoffed. "Huh! So _one _of you has your head screwed on right? Thank fuck for that!"

"We are focussing on Bella!" Emmett looked at me like I'd just betrayed him.

I shook my head. "Not in the right way, Em." The admission was a heavy weight…a

guilty weight.

We were letting our emotions get too far away from us. Sure, it made us more determined

to drive on, but this was so, so personal - we almost couldn't 'separate' it. Bla ck getting

away meant that the risk to Bella was still present. And let's just face facts here, anything

that posed a risk to Bella had us one stop short of being bundled up by the man in the

van. We were going _insane _with the thought of that douche hurting her again, all because

we let him get away. On top of that, we were still no closer to catching the damned inside

rat. And Bella was still healing – a constant reminder of what they'd done. It made for a

violent concoction of emotions, I can tell you.

Then of course, we were all a little on edge waiting for Stefan to hit back…

Aro had strung Vladimir up to a lamppost directly opposite the Denali's main house.

That…was going to be one morning they didn't forget for a long time. Opening the

curtains to reveal the Denali outfits second in line…strung up by the neck, his intestines

spewing from a large slit in his stomach. Aro had smashed the light from the post out, the

message clear in our world…_you try and take our light _- _we'll _demolish _yours_.

Beautifully sadistic and poetic, as always.

Emmett was quiet…brooding. He knew we'd fucked this up. For all of Emmett's usual

happy go lucky nature, knowing we'd just sent baby girl into a barely conscious,

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unresponsive stupor made him want to spit nails. Instead of backing down, he wanted to

fight, argue, scream…kill something. Some _might _call that denial…

Edward remained quiet, no doubt internally lashing himself for our actions. He may have

been the 'hothead' around here, but seeing what _we _had done to our Bella had him using

up a one way ticket to Self-Hate-Ville.

I guess that just left me…

"Bella would never consent to the analysis," I began, trying to think rationally. We

needed to put this right…_had _to put it right.

Aro shook his head. "No, she wouldn't. She'd take a step inside the room, see a stranger

and attack. And I think all of us know what any psychologist would do after witnessing it.

They'd either want her admitted for observations or they'd try to medicate her."

Edward looked contrite. "Maybe that's what she does need. Perhaps we shouldn't be

keeping her here. Maybe we're making her worse…" He whispered, trailing off.

Aro looked like he wanted to beat him with a paperweight. Instead, he opted to throw one

at him. Edward narrowly missed the heavy glass by an inch after darting quickly out of

the weights flight path. The glass shattered as it hit the wall behind us, a sea of green and

blue and clear glass now lay in ruined fragments on the wooden floor. Edward glared at

Aro…suddenly back to his former, pissed of self.

"There is nothing wrong with Bella!" Aro fumed. "The poor girl's been put through too

much, too soon, too young. She has issues with anxiety and trust – no one can blame her

for that. That does not mean to say she's mentally ill, Edward! Jesus Christ!" Aro began

to pace, and for some strange reason, I pictured him wearing a long black cape…the ends

of it billowing around his ankles and across the floor, making him snap at the material

when he turned.

_Fucked up_…

"I wasn't implying she's mentally fucking ill!" Edward sniped. "I'm saying that perhaps

this isn't the right environment for her – look at what we've done to her for fuck sake!"

Aro got that eerily calm look about him all of a sudden. It made my stomach churn.

"Alright Edward," he nodded, taking a seat in the large office chair behind the desk.

"Send her away. Have the analysis performed. They'll probably ship her off to some

institution and feed her pills until she's drooling and can ingest nothing but porridge…"

Aro titled his head to the side, "…but it's your call."

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"They won't ship her off anywhere; there isn't anything wrong with her. But maybe they

could suggest some…I don't fucking know, coping techniques or something? Maybe

somebody to talk to?"

Aro's bottom lip jutted out. "Okay…imagine you don't know Bella. You're just some

random person on the street. You back into her by accident one day, and she flips out.

What would you think?"

Edward looked at Aro like he wasn't quite the full shilling, but indulged him anyway. "I'd

think she was having a panic attack and get her some help, try and calm her down."

"But every time you touch her…talk to her, she gets worse. Then what would you think?"

Aro pressed on.

"I'd think she was having a really bad panic attack," Edward frowned, looking at Aro like

he was stupid. "I just said that."

"Right. A few days later, the same thing happens again. Same girl, same reaction when

she's touched. Then what would you think?"

"Is there a fucking point to this?" Edward snapped. "Failing to see how it's even remotely

conducive!"

"Yes there's a point, Edward." Aro rested his chin in the palm of a hand. "The point being

that we know Bella and her circumstances. We know the story, nobody else does. We

understand when she reacts the way that she does to certain things. Others don't. When

Bella attacks, we can usually understand why, find the trigger, and calm her down. _We_

can do that. Do you really think that even a psychologist on the most sympathetic of

levels is going to take pity and just send her on her way, after witnessing Bella's reactions

to…most things?"

"Hold the fuck on a minute!" Emmett stepped forewords. "Why are we even discussing

this?"

Aro raised a finger to silence him. "Because in the space of five minutes, one of you has

gone from vehemently protesting to the idea of this analysis, to thinking it might hold

some sort of benefit for Bella."

"Okay, one – this ain't up for discussion anymore, Bella's going nowhere. And two -

Edward, shut the fuck up!" Emmett growled.

"Fuck you Em! And I wasn't suggesting we send Bella anywhere. She stays here – with

us. I'm just…fuck! I'm worried about her!" Edward swiped a hand across his face

roughly.

Ah, good old conflict…

172

"I can't believe you would even consider it, fucking prick…" Emmett started to grumble.

Edward lost it. "I'm not considering anything Emmett! Shut the hell up!"

"Sounded like it to me," Em mumbled.

"It's called thinking out loud Emmett, go to hell!"

"Nooooo, _you _go to hell! You're the one suggesting there's something wrong with Bella.

Wanker."

Edward began to twitch. "I suggested nothing of the sort! Stop putting words in my

mouth!"

Emmett snorted. "I'm going nowhere near your mouth…it's full of shit!"

Edward began to reach back into the waistband of his pants…

Aro rolled his eyes and huffed. "Alright, alright. Settle down children. Emmett, stop

winding him up. Edward, it's not nice to pull guns on people…even on Emmett."

I had to chuckle at that. 'It's not nice to pull guns on people', I was gonna get Maggie to

embroider it on a pillow or something.

"I hope you told Peter where he could stick his psych analysis, though if he's desperate

for a subject, I'd like to nominate _Minnie_." Emmett actually looked hopeful. He really

needed to get over the dog thing.

"Lord give me strength," Aro whispered under his breath. "Yes Emmett, I'll get right on

it." He gave Em a pointed stare.

"Bella," I injected, trying to get back on topic.

Aro sat back in his chair. "I, of course, told Peter that under no circumstances would

Bella be going for any kind of assessment. He was…displeased."

Edward grunted. "He can take his displeasure and cram it up his rectum."

"Yeah," Emmett intoned, "what Edward said…the rectum thing. Bella goes nowhere."

Aro blinked, stone faced at Emmett. I could practically read his thoughts…'_the rectum_

_thing_?' He shook it off quickly. "Can we please just remember that Peter is a good friend

to this family and is only looking out for Bella?"

Edward snorted. "Yeah…likely. He can take his friendship and _rim it _with his displeasure

for even suggesting Bella should be taken away."

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"Edward, you were _just _saying that you thought it might be a good idea!" Aro snapped.

Edward waved a hand casually, "let's not get hung up on silly technicalities. She stays."

I felt like groaning. I think I heard Aro growl.

Why couldn't they just shut up and let the _adults _in the room deal with this?

"Bella," I said again, this time allowing the agitation to seep into my voice.

Aro cast me a grateful look. "I'd like her to come and stay with me for a few days."

Oh Christ…

That was gonna go down well…go down like a lead balloon sort of 'well.'

I'd give it about three seconds until Edward blows u-

"ARE YOU _INSANE_?" Edward bellowed.

"FUCK NO!" Emmett roared.

"I think that's a good idea," I nodded to Aro.

Two heads rounded on me, giving me a 'you're siding with _him_' look.

I shook my head, deep in thought. "It makes sense. We need to catch Black. Stefan's

probably gonna make it a complete chore given we just annihilated his brother. We need

to focus. We can't do that if we're always worrying about Bella being here. She'll be safe

with Aro."

It didn't just make sense. It was what _needed _to be done. It was the most sensible thing

anyone had said all damn day.

"You want Bella to _leave_?" Edward said, totally aghast and looking at me horrified.

"No, I don't want Bella to fucking leave! We however, have a job to do that's proving to

be more of a ball ache than we'd originally anticipated. We want Black, but what if we

can't get to him easily? We'll get wound up and loose focus – again. And it's hardly doing

Bella any good to be around us when this is going on." I tried to reason.

Edward scowled at me. "So what, we pack her off to the head of the family's house? How

the fuck is that gonna help? Aro, no offence, but you're busier than the rest of us put

together!"

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"Nothing that can't either be put on hold or dealt with by someone else, not for the next

couple of weeks anyway. Marcus can handle any business meetings; I can send him

plenty of muscle if I'm not to be in attendance personally. You three can handle Black

and the Denali's; we've got Laurie and Si out scouting for trouble. I've got my blackberry

for everything else. The important thing right now is Bella. She needs you three back, so

get on Black and make it quick."

"I don't know about this…" Emmett looked visibly uneasy. "How's she gonna feel about

us _sending her away _after what's just happened?"

Aro rolled his eyes. "You're hardly sending her to the slaughter house, Emmett. She's just

coming to stay with me for a few days."

We _all _raised our eyebrows at Aro. _Not a slaughter house_? Was that one of his hidden

funnies? Kinky folk had dungeons and play rooms and shit for their sexy time escapades.

Aro had 'em for their true sadistic uses.

Aro scoffed. "What are you trying to imply about my house?"

I had to smirk. "Nothing, nothing. It's a fine house, very grand. Although, it's probably

the most haunted house, y'know, on the _planet _what with all the bodies that _don't _come

back out…"

"My house is not haunted!" Aro protested. "Besides, it's my Birthday coming up and I'd

love to spend the day with our girl. You lot don't share very well!"

Emmett grinned. "Can you blame us?"

"Well, no…but…" Aro frowned.

"But…?" Emmett's grin was going nowhere.

"But I want some Bella time! Now-"

Emmett cut him off. "I don't know boys…what do you think? I'm not sure we should let

him…Edward?"

Edward joined the grinning parade. "I think you've gotta point there, Em. I'm not sure

Bella would feel comfortable surrounded by the ghouls and ghosts in that

house…Jasper?"

I stroked my chin dramatically. "Hmmm. Maybe she would be better off staying with

us…"

"Jasper don't you join in!" Aro scolded. "You're supposed to be better then them!"

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I sucked in air through my teeth. "Yeah…but…this is _Bella _we're talking about…"

"Tough shit. You're all overruled. I'm the boss, she's coming with me." Aro stated firmly.

"Watcha think boys?" Emmett began conspiratorially. "Three on one…we could take

him."

"Dream on," Aro smirked. "_I _only trained _one _of you…"

"Man's gotta point," Em said, staring at Edward and me from the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah…maybe we should back down now?" Edward asked.

"I like my kneecaps…" I put in.

"That settles it then…" Em mocked defeat before whispering rather loudly, "we'll get him

in his sleep."

I think I heard Aro mumble 'like that would give you a fighting chance.'

"All humour aside, I'm really not sure how Bella would feel…especially after today."

Edward said seriously.

"She needs a break, Edward. My Birthday's in five days. Let her rest up at mine, make

sure you get Black handled and we'll have a feast to celebrate my incoming pension," Aro

winked. "Oh and, you're all on night watch duty too," he 'put in' as he stood up.

"What! Why?" Emmett's eyes widened. "We have people for that!"

"I'm…giving them a vacation," Aro smiled gleefully.

I didn't like where this was going. Night watch duty was for the chumps at the bottom. I

don't think any of us had actually done night watch in…years. Even when we did, it

wasn't often. We'd always been above it. Night watch is what we gave to the pricks who

fucked up to humiliate them. Felix and Alec got stuck doing it _all _the time, usually for

cheek and/or drunkenness. "Uh, why are they getting a vacation?"

"Because my three best just fucked up on a monumental scale and need knocking down a

peg or twelve," Aro cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Every night until Bella's home."

"Aw Aro, come on!" Emmett whined. "We don't do that shit!"

Aro's happiness was a little too 'happy' for my fucking liking. "You do now. Have fun!"

He actually looked like he wanted to do a little jolly dance…

176

"But we can't!" Edward argued. "Fucking hell, how the piss are we supposed to keep up

the respect of everyone else with us on _night watch duty_," he spat the words as though

they were dirty.

They kinda were.

"Should have thought about that before…" Aro sang.

Asshole.

Edward glowered. "So what? We spend all day hunting down Black, have to keep an eye

on the Denali's movements _and _spend all night at the warehouses?"

Aro mocked an exaggerated 'thoughtful' look, "yup!" He popped the 'p'.

"We'll be exhausted!" Emmett whinged.

There was a distinct bounce in Aro's steps as he walked around the desk. "Not my

problem…guess that sleep training will come in handy after all…"

Bastard. _Absolute _bastard…

"When are we seeing Bella then?" Edward was getting het up. He shouldn't, Aro was

enjoying this too much as it was - minus a temper tantrum from Edward.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll fit it in," he flapped his hands about joyfully.

Wanker. Total and utter _wanker_!

"And of course, Emmett has to take care of the dogs. Walking, feeding…no 'accidents'

Emmett – I mean it."

I had to bite my bottom lip painfully hard to stop from laughing. Emmett's face was one

of pure horror.

"_Fuck no_! Take them with you!"

"Silly boy," Aro tutted. "They'll get hair all over my silk upholstery. And what with all

the ghosts…they'll get freaked out…"

Emmett's glare turned on me. "Oh, fucking _good one _with the haunted bullshit, Whitlock!

Dick!"

I rolled my eyes. "Are we done here? I wanna go check on Bella."

Aro waved a hand, dismissing me. The other two didn't get so lucky.

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"…so fucking unfair!" Emmett snarked as I shut the door to Bella's study over.

The house was eerily quiet. Since we got Bella home, we'd spent every night with her in

either her room talking, in the den watching movies or in the library reading. It…didn't

feel right to be walking around and not hear her chatter or listen to her bell- like laugh

chiming.

I didn't appreciate the silence. Not only because the usual sounds in the house weren't

present to keep me company and smile, but because it gave me the perfect opportunity to

lash myself for how unbelievably appalling our behaviour towards Bella had been earlier.

None of us, not even Edward, had ever spoken to Bella that way. I mean, we don't

generally give a shit how we speak to people, or how we treat them, but Bella…fuck! We

know better.

None of us had wanted to go back to work today. We didn't want to leave her. She was

still in the 'body knackered' zone, she was still healing. And instead of staying home and

continuing to place Doctors with our precious girl – best thing ever, by the way – we had

to go chasing scum around. Scum, I might add, that had slipped through our fingers.

Aro was smart though. He'd just given us the best incentive to make the catch quick, what

with Bella being removed from our home. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of not having her

here, but it's what needed to be done. If there was one person she'd be safer with than us

three, it was Aro. He practically lived inside his own Fort Knox. It was insane. Guess he

didn't see the grand old age of fifty six in this life by living it up in a tree house though.

There were also the minor details, such as him being borderline psychotic when it came

to killing, and having a weapons store that could rival the US army's.

Yeah…she'd be safe.

I got to Bella's door and paused. I had no idea what to do or what to say. Somehow 'hi

hunny, real sorry for bawling at you earlier, think we could just brush your mental

meltdown under the carpet and start again? How about a frozen yoghurt?' just wasn't

going to cut it…

Fuck!

I could just about make out the other three down the hall. Emmett was still whining about

the dog duty issue, Edward was moaning about night watch being beneath us, and Aro

was repeatedly calling them babies. No wonder he let _me _leave. Shut up and take it

already! Fuck up's have consequences. I was actually kinda proud of Aro. He hadn't

smashed their heads through any windows…yet. Though, maybe he thought he didn't

have to. Perhaps he was hoping lessons would be further learned when Edward's pride

nose-dived on night watch, and Emmett's balls got chomped off by Minnie come dinner

time.

Hmmm.

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My fingers brushed over the metal handle on Bella's door, it felt cold and hard against my

warm flesh. I steeled myself and pressed it down, wishing desperately for alternative

circumstances but resigned to putting the current state of affairs right. I was gonna have

to snap Bella out of it…I couldn't bundle her up and send her off with Aro, not when the

air hadn't been cleared.

I eased the door open, not wanting to startle Bella if she was 'with us'. What I found

inside nearly stopped my fucking heart.

"EDWARD! EMMETT!"

I rushed inside, taking note of _everything_.

Bella's sheets lay in heaps. Her side table had been upturned, the clock, lamp, photo

frame and trinket box that sat on it…scattered and broken. One of the end tables next to

her seating area had also been toppled over, throwing magazines and books sprawling

across the floor. The curtain closest to the damage had been torn down…the cream voile

looked as though is had been…dragged. One end of it remained beneath the window, but

the other end lay a few feet away, stretched across the hardwood floor and spilling onto

the large cream rug. The low lying seat at the end of Bella's bed had been knocked two

feet out of place…spatters of…red…

_Oh God_…

"BELLA?"

Fragments of glass and droplets of…red, yes, just red – red doesn't equal… There was a

trail. Upon closer inspection, the…red started from near her bed, and dripped across the

floor, the rug, and into the…

"WHAT? What is it?" Emmett charged in, but stopped suddenly as he noticed the chaos

of the scene before him. Edward was close behind him, Aro tailing at the end.

"What the hell?" Edward breathed.

"Bella…" Aro said worriedly.

"BELLA?" I called out again, following the droplets to the door, leading to her attached

bathroom.

My hand snatched at the handle, jiggling it roughly.

Locked.

I started pounding the door, slamming a hand down repeatedly as my other hand tried to

twist the handle free.

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"BELLA? BABY, YOU IN THERE?"

Nothing.

"BELLA DARLIN', YOU HURT?"

Still nothing.

This felt familiar.

"MOVE!" Emmett shoved me out the way roughly. "BELLA PRECIOUS, IF YOU'RE

BEHIND THE DOOR – GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Flashes of images started racing through my mind. Images I didn't want to remember.

Images I'd banned long ago. Images and memories that meant Bella couldn't shave by

herself anymore…

"Emmett break down that fucking door!" Edward hissed. "What the fuck are you waiting

for?"

Emmett scowled at him but wasted no more time. His massive form slammed into the

door, the sound of the wood splintering and cracking filling the tense space.

I was wringing my hands and dancing on my toes. _Come on_…_come on_…

"Emmett…hurry up…"

– pound – "I'm," – pound – "fucking," – pound – "trying!" – pound –

Suddenly the door wasn't there anymore, and neither was Emmett – who was currently

hurtling through the air like a cannonball.

I wasted no time, pushing everyone else aside to get in, ramming into Emmett in the

process but shaking it off. I'd worry about fractured ribs later.

She was by the bath. Bloody footprints stained the white tiled floor and lead to where she

sat, hunched…shaking…blood…fuck!

"Bella?" I ran to her, squatting down before I'd fully reached her, resulting in my ass

sliding across the floor until our bodies met. That would have been embarrassing…were

it not for present circumstances.

My fingers laced through her hair and my eyes scanned over every inch of her. There was

blood on her feet, also on her arms and hands. Her pyjamas were ruined. It…certainly

didn't fit the old pattern, as much as I hated to think of it.

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"Hey baby, what happened?" I whispered, stroking the hair that had fallen across her face

back.

Her tiny frame was trembling. Small, hurt animal- like noises fell from her perfect lips

and I just wanted to fucking die a thousand deaths seeing her like this.

She didn't say anything. She just kept shaking. I needed to check limbs for damage; it

looked like there were some glass fragments in both her feet and her arms. They needed

to come out, now.

I looked up and sought out Aro. "Can you get me a bowl of warm water, some tweezers

and some antiseptic wipes? They'll be in the first aid kit." He nodded and left quickly.

Edward and Emmett joined me on the floor, both looking torn and visibly upset.

"Bella," Edward cooed, "what happened angel?"

She shook her head violently. I took that as a positive – it was a response…sort of.

Emmett stood up and walked to the 'door', he flung it forwards roughly and grabbed

Bella's robe from the hook on the back. He held it out for me as he walked back towards

us, and I took it, draping it over Bella's shoulders.

She glanced up at me as I tightened the fabric over her, trying to keep her warm. She

looked so…sad. Her bottom lip began to tremble and tears spilled from her beautiful, big

eyes.

"Are you still mad at me?" She whispered so quietly, I nearly didn't hear it.

I blanched. Mad at her? Why on earth would we be mad at Bella? I don't think we've ever

been mad at her. "We're not mad baby," I tried to assure her as my finger tips danced

across her cheek. "We could never be mad at you."

Edward smacked the back of my head and muttered 'idiot'. "Bella baby, we weren't mad

at you. We jus t got caught up with some work stuff. We didn't mean to bring it home

with us, and we're really sorry for lashing out at you, we didn't mean to." His fingers

moved to under Bella's chin, bringing her face round to look up at his. "Can you forgive

us?"

She seemed to struggle with that. Like it wasn't quite what she was expecting to hear.

"So you're not…" she took a deep breath, "you're not going to send me back?"

Send her back?

Send her back where?

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"What do you mean, Darlin'?"

Edward smacked the back of my head – a-fucking- gain!

"Will you quit that?" I snapped. "You do that again and I'll stab you!"

Edward rolled his eyes and turned back to Bella. "You listen to me, we will _never _send

you back, or send you away, you're here for good, alright?"

Comprehension dawned on me. Fuck! She thought we didn't want her anymore? "Oh

Bella, how could you think that?"

A sob tore loose and she looked away. Edward gave me one of his super special 'looks'

that indicated he thought I wasn't quite all there in the 'getting it' department.

"Bella baby, we weren't angry with you, we didn't mean to get mad. We just let things get

on top of us," Emmett said softly. "Please don't be upset."

Aro came running back into the bathroom, his arms heavily burdened. His fingers

grasped tightly onto a big bowl of water as he relaxed his elbows, dropping several items

onto the floor.

"Bella sweetie, you think we could take a look at you…get you cleaned up a little?" I

asked tentatively. She simply nodded.

We arranged her so that she was sat in Aro's lap, his arms held onto her reassuringly as

Edward and Emmett took an arm each, and I focussed on her feet. They were a little cut

up, but nothing overly serious. I extracted a few small pieces of glass that had imbedded

their way into her flesh and bathed both of her feet, Edward and Em followed suit with

her arms and hands. We made fast work of it.

I suggested getting Bella in the shower…which then resulted in a ten minute argument

over who was gonna go in with her. Guess lady luck was on my side today, well, that and

Aro backed me up. _Love _that man!

All three of them left the bathroom, with Edward and Emmett griping about not being

able to stay with Bella when I could and Aro verbally starting to list the things he'd need

to pack for her.

I switched the shower on and adjusted the spray nozzles; I put the temperature up to

seven and a half, knowing Bella would appreciate the small gesture. I stripped off first,

not wanting to get Bella naked and then leave her on the floor to get cold. I didn't miss

her eyes raking over me, and I had to fight to suppress a grin from emerging, knowing

full well I was being ogled.

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"Okay you, let's get you in. Can you put your hands up for me?" I asked as I bent down to

grip the hem of her top.

Her big, brown, doe eyes batted up to meet mine…her teeth skimmed over that plump

bottom lip of hers. "You're really not mad at me Jasper?"

_Breaking my fucking heart here_…

I shook my head, "I could never be mad at you."

Her arms slowly started to lift upwards, and I brought her top gently over her

stomach…her breasts…her shoulders…her head. My fingers traced the length of her

arms as the material followed their path. I didn't move my gaze from her as I threw the

top at…absolutely nowhere in particular.

The bathroom was filling with steam and I could feel the moisture beginning to cling to

not only my body, but Bella's also. The mere thought of it had me licking my lips –

_hardly the ideal time_, Whitlock…

I wound an arm around Bella's torso and lifted her slightly, and with great care, slipped

her boy shorts off.

_Do not moan_. _Do not moan_. _Do NOT moan_.

I moaned.

I threw the shorts in another random direction; I'd worry about my anal retentiveness

later. Bella was right under me, naked…fuuuuck.

"Maybe I should have let Edward do this," I whispered, taking in the temptress before

me. I needed to behave. Bella was in no state to be getting down with the hanky panky

right now. I'd have to remind Aro to get Peter out again tomorrow, just to give her

another once over.

Bella cocked her head slightly. "I'm glad you didn't."

She wrapped her hands around my neck as I lifted us both into the shower, and I began to

question if it would have been slightly more logical to have adjusted the temperature

_down _instead of up.

"Uh, Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Which way's more comfortable for you? Are your feet too tender to stand up,

sweetheart?"

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"Probably, just set me down on the floor."

I did just that, shuffling about on my knees to grab body wash and shampoo as Bella sat

under one of the nozzles. I cleaned baby girl up, loving the strawberry scent that

surrounded us. I put my massage skills to good use, carefully easing the tension in her

body as I lathered her with soapy bubbles. Her warm, wet skin felt incredible beneath my

fingertips.

With the dried blood washed away, I could examine Bella's cuts a little more closely.

They weren't bad, scratches, if anything. She might need to stay off her feet for a day or

two, just to avoid any discomfort. I'm sure Aro wouldn't have an issue enforcing that one.

That reminded me…

"Bella hunny? I need to talk to you about something…"

Her head snapped around to face me. "That sounds…ominous."

I gave her a small smile. "Just hear me out, alright?" She nodded. "We're…having some

issues…with work." I swiped water from my eyes and swept a mop of wet hair back from

my face. "How…uhhh…how would you feel about going to stay with Aro for a few

days?"

Her eyes widened. "Is everything ok? Are you in trouble?"

"No, no. We're just having a difficulty or two…acquiring something, and well, today…"

A look of understanding crossed her face. "You need a few days to get it sorted out?"

"We're NOT sending you away, Bella. Please don't think th-"

Her fingers brushed over my lips, silencing me. "You're having a tough time with

something?" I nodded slowly. "You need to focus?" Again, I nodded. "Then I'll be fine

with Aro. You'll still come and see me though?"

I gave her a pointed look but smirked. "That's a silly question, Bella."

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Chapter 11

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_Chapter Eleven_

_Bella_

"Checkmate," I grinned, only to have it widen further as his eyes bugged and stared at the

board.

Aro scowled petulantly. "Good Lord, sweetheart. How'd you get so good at chess?"

I wanted to do a happy dance; I might have done if it weren't for my still healing ribs. "I

live in a house full of mobsters," I laughed. "They're all about the tactical board games.

You should see me playing Cluedo – I've taken Edward out more times than I can count."

Aro's barking laugh bounced off the walls, reverberating all around us. "Oh, I can just

imagine his face…"

Hmmm, hothead's really not such a good looser…

It was my second day at Aro's house. And, not altogether surprisingly, I'd been having the

best time. When Jasper mentioned the stay initially, I told him I was fine with it, but

inside…inside I wanted to weep. I didn't want to leave my boys. Not for a second. But

they needed some time to focus…get their mob crap done. I was hardly about to throw a

tantrum over it. Especially after the episode I'd had…

I didn't mean to do a 'Taz' on my room. I don't…fully remember. What I do recall is

snapping too all of a sudden, and not seeing anybody. I was all alone. I must have flipped

out. Poor Maggie was gonna be left to clear up, again. I needed to do something for

her…let her know how much we appreciated her.

The boys and Aro had all tried to question me about my attack, approaching the subject

hesitantly, but as usual, I just…couldn't. Most of the time, I can't remember very much of

them, but I also don't want to. I'd rather brush it under the carpet and get on. Jane blew up

one afternoon during the summer, actually. I'd had an attack early in the morning, but

after I'd managed to calm and sleep off the exhaustion, I joined Jasper out in the garden,

cuddled up on a rug…reading a book. '_She's full of shit_! _Look at her – she's fine_!' I think

had been her complimentary words…

Was I fine? Depends how you look at it. Most probably think I'm just nuts.

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You know the really strange thing? I was fine. I'm always 'fine' after an episode. Like I've

been cleansed, or something. I pick up and carry on. I'm a sitting duckling though…one

day, my hearts just gonna say 'no, I can't do it anymore.' And the Swan will take off…

We were sat out on one of Aro's many terraces. His 'house' was immense. In all honesty, I

don't think even _Updown Court _had anything on this place. I mean, our house was big,

bigger than big, but you could probably fit it in here twenty times over.

I'd grown fond of this particular terrace. It was south facing, allowing the subtle rays of

the early September sun to bathe us…warm us. It was all white marble pillars and

terracotta floor tiles. There were lots of hanging baskets sprawling with trailing ivy and

potted plants that would soon give into the changing season. What I loved about this

terrace was the furniture. It was the epitome of luxury, and being honest, looked more

like a seven star rated hotel complex. There were actual beds out here. My favourite

being the large, light brown wicker one that had a Tag Mahal point at the top. It was

almost dome shaped but with a large cut out section to get on and off of it. The mattress

was deep and possibly the comfiest thing I'd ever sat on. I'd sleep on it…out here…if Aro

let me…which he didn't. Scrooge.

Some parts of the terrace were very 'Indian style.' Aro and I were currently seated in large

bean bags on the floor, a low lying stone table between us, specially designed to hold an

outdoor chess set.

We'd spent a lot of time out here, with Aro's sprawling gardens in front of us and a

member of staff serving us food and drink whenever requested. He was spoiling me. For

once, I didn't put up too much of a fight. The attack I'd had the other night kinda shook

me up a little, what with the boys setting me off, and I knew I had to wind down, relax.

A light breeze drifted through the terrace, rustling the fabric of the white, cotton maxi

dress I was wearing. My current wardrobe was unfamiliar to me, and I soon learned –

much to my horror – that instead of simply bringing some of my (new, with labels still

attached) clothes from home, Aro had bought me brand new things for my stay. The label

on the dress had been unfamiliar when I slipped it on this morning; it read 'Monsoon.'

Meant _naff all _to me, you understand. But as I checked the other items in my wardrobe, I

noticed many of the dresses had the same label. And they were all _beautiful_. I stored the

name of the label away for later. Aro had excellent taste.

"Ah Bella," he sighed, taking a tentative sip of his espresso. "I don't think I want to give

you back."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "No wonder, with me gone - who's going to monitor your

coffee intake?"

He winked at me as he finished his _forth _triple shot espresso – it was eleven thirty. I was

expecting him to start talking to the walls as he twitched spasmodically _any _minute now.

186

"What would you like to do today, angel?" He'd tilted his head to the side, and was giving

me his best 'adoring father' look. It made me melt a little. I really loved Aro. I didn't want

to ever replace my own father; he'd been such a good, kind man. Simply put, he could

never _be _replaced. But his death left a hole. A big, gaping, sorrow- filled hole. And Aro,

well, he'd filled it a little. It was a strange relationship we had. To an extent, it was very

father-daughter like. But there was also more to it. He was immense globe of protection

for me. He was an extremely soothing person to be around. A contradiction, if there ever

was one, with all things considered.

"I don't know, do you have plans?" I bit my lip worriedly; I didn't want to keep him from

his work. Aro Volturo was a busy, busy man.

"Bella," he frowned. "How many times? I've told you, everything's taken care of. I have a

conference call at two that I have to take, but it shouldn't be long. Other than that, the day

is ours."

Hmmm.

I had an assignment due in, in two weeks time. The first of my third year home study

courses had just started up and I really needed to sit down and do some work for it. My

first course would take me up to January, and I'd selected to study about the texts and

debates surrounding 20th century literature. I'd been flying through Katherine Mansfield's

_Short Stories _the past few days as part of the reading material I was required to analyse.

I'd also need to get cracking on Chekhov's _The Cherry Orchard _if I wanted to nail my

first assignment.

"I have some work to do for my course…would you…would you mind giving me hand to

start structuring out my essay?" I asked timidly.

College work on 20th century literature? You're asking Aro Volturo, head of the Volturo

Mafia outfit, to help you structure an assignment on Aestheticism and Modernism in

freakin' literature? _Good one _Swan, not like the poor man has _anything _better to do…

But Aro beamed at me. "I would absolutely love to! Is this your first assignment?"

I nodded, momentarily taken off guard by his enthusiasm.

And then I remembered Aro's face when I got the conformation letter in, listing my

marks and grades upon completion of my second year, just before the summer fully set

in. He'd been so…proud. My grades hadn't really surprised me; I'd always been a bit of a

nerd at school, always excelled. My GPA had been the best thing going for me as an

awkward teenager. Pretty pathetic, huh?

Aro didn't have any children of his own. I mean, he had Jane, but the less said about her

the better. He took as little to do with her as possible. He'd pretty much adopted me as _his_

when I came into this family, so could I really not understand why he was so thrilled? His

187

'daughter' was doing extremely well in her studies. Of course he was happy. And I was

offering him a chance to play the role of 'doting father who helps daughter with college

work' – had he ever had the opportunity to do that? No.

He was making a memory, one I'm fairly certain he'd treasure as the time he helped his

Bella with her college work…on a sunny September afternoon.

Far be it from me to deny him it.

I smiled warmly at him, "I need my things."

"I'll get them, I'll get them," he stood, flapping his hands at me, telling me to stay where I

was. "What do you need?"

"It's all in my book bag; I think I left it on one of the armchairs in my room. I can get it if

you wan-"

I stopped talking at the pointed look he gave me. "You will do no such thing. Here," he

held his hands out to me to help me up. "Why don't you go and sit at the table over there,

I'll have Maria bring out some refreshments. I'll be back in five."

I found myself a little overwhelmed as I watched Aro walk away. I'd heard the men

talking, hell, I'd heard enough from my three to know that Aro was generally considered

to be…there aren't really words. But I couldn't place him as _that _man, not with the one

walking not twenty feet from me. I'd heard tales of Sully, stories of how Aro worshipped

her. A true love, if ever there was one apparently. And my heart clenched for him. The

life he had known, with Sully, even with Jane in her better years, had been cruelly

snatched from him. And now me…

He was the original good man who did bad things, seemingly.

But I couldn't picture him doing bad. For me, Aro would always wear a halo. And maybe

that was a naïve perception to hold, but it would be the one I'd always cling to.

I settled myself into a large, wicker armchair, sinking into the comfort it provided. Maria

was out in no time, laden with a tray containing a pitche r of bloody orange liquid, two

glasses and a small bowl.

"Miss Bella," she inclined her head and sat the tray down.

I smiled in return. "Hello Maria, how are you?"

I liked Maria. She looked after Aro well. Lord knows how she managed to run this maze

of a house and keep tabs on the staff, but she did. She was a very warm person. She could

literally brighten your day with a smile. She and Maggie didn't really get along very well.

Maggie had known Aro for years, but was employed by my boys. She and Maria

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bickered like children whenever Maggie was here. The two staff heads of each household

clashing…trying to outdo the other. Of course, Maggie never helped matters. She knew

the family so well; she automatically tried to take charge in looking after everyone. Not

something Maria tolerated – in her domain.

"Very well, thank you. And you?" She asked pleasantly.

Maria's work manner was a little formal for my own liking, I much preferred Maggie's –

she was never afraid to boss the boys about like a mother hen, or tell Aro to get his goons

out of 'her' kitchen. Wonderful woman.

"Just fine, thanks. I think I've fallen in love with this terrace."

She nodded, as if understanding exactly what I meant. "Would you like some juice? I've

just finished making it."

I eyed the pitcher. "Uh, what is it, exactly?"

Maria gave a small laugh. "Tropical juice, made from scratch. It's lovely, I promise."

It looked a little odd. It was orange, but in a very red sense – not that that paints a very

clear picture. Jeez, and I'm supposed to be studying English…

Not wanting to appear rude, I plastered on a cheerful smile and said, "sure!"

I shouldn't have judged. It was delicious…tangy but sweet. I greedily sunk the entire

glass and asked for more.

Aro came out then, juggling a whole heap of stuff and still managing to look

sophisticated. I'd have to ask them how they did that…

"I figured you'd need a laptop sweetheart, you can keep this one – I've got loads."

Of _course _you have…

"Oh, thank you Maria," Aro said as she presented him with a glass full of the delicious

liquid.

"Y'know Maria, you'll have to give the recipe to Maggie…" I trailed off as I heard Aro

choke on his drink. "I don't think she's ever made anything like this for us."

Aro cast me a 'you're being very naughty' look the minute his airway was clear.

Maria suddenly got a very haughty look about her. "Oh, I'll be sure to pass it on…with

_exact _details." She floated off, a definite spring in her step.

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"Isabella Swan, you big meanie!" Aro chided mockingly. "Those boys are rubbing off on

you!"

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Don't you what me, poor Maggie's gonna have Maria gloating over her now and you

know it." He chuckled.

Well, it was about time Maria got one up for a change. Poor woman was always being

beaten down by Maggie and her wealt h of knowledge.

I shrugged, acting nonchalant. Aro wasn't fooled.

We got set up and worked until a quarter to two, stopping only briefly to wolf down a

lunch of spiced couscous with peppers and courgette. I'd made a fairly decent start. Aro,

to my surprise, actually had a lot to offer on my subject topic. He'd mocked me for said

surprise, claiming he was an 'all round, worldly man of many talents.'

I tried to squish down any thoughts on the 'many' part, not wanting to delve too deep into

what the 'many' consisted of.

"Right, I need to take this call in my study angel, you'll be alright for twenty minutes or

so?"

God Almighty, did he have to look so _worried_? It was twenty minutes.

"I'll be fine," I rolled my eyes at him. "Go, take your call."

He seemed to hesitate, as though debating if the content of said call would be too bad for

me to be able to sit in with him. He must have decided it was. "Alright, you come and get

me if you need me though, yes?"

I nodded, shooing him away with my hands.

I felt wiped out. I never understood it, but I think my body was wired completely wrong,

I could tire so easily – and I'd done nothing but relax all day.

I read through everything I'd written so far. Aro had helped me come up with an excellent

essay plan and we'd started structuring it onto a _Word _document, adding bullet points of

what was needed in each section. I'd made a start on finding any quotes or references I'd

need, jotting them down in the required sections.

Yawning, I stood up. My ribs were feeling _so _much better. It didn't generally hurt to

breathe anymore, coughing could certainly be uncomfortable, but I could walk about with

mild ease without any splitting pain. I grabbed my copy of _The Cherry Orchard _and a

190

pencil, and moved to settle myself down on the daybed I'd now claimed as mine. I was

gonna have to mention these things to the boys, they were fabulous.

Adjusting the pillows, I propped myself into a half sitting, half lying position and covered

myself with a cashmere blanket.

I think I made three separate notes before my eyes closed and the pencil slipped from my

grasp.

(-)

I couldn't determine if I was awake or not. My eyes were heavy and didn't want to open,

but I could hear voices, some hushed, others…loud. Something was in my hair, on my

arm…tickling it.

"…think Edward's actually going to kill her this time."

Someone snorted. "Serves her fucking right, standing over her like that. Did you see

Aro's face? Think he might choke her himself."

I stretched out, trying to wake my sleepy limbs. My eyes started to open a little, needing

to adjust to the light.

"Hey baby," somebody cooed. Jasper? Was Jasper here?

I turned my face, only to find a near perfect sight before me. Emmett and Jasper. But one

part of the perfect was missing. Where was my Edward?

"Hi," I said groggily.

"How you feeling precious?" Emmett asked, stroking my hair.

I smiled. "I'm go-"

"YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T RIP YOUR FUCKING THROAT OUT!"

What in the…

Edward. Mad Edward. No, scratch that. _Enraged _Edward.

Holy shit…

I cast a 'what the frick?' look at both the boys, who in turn, shared an uneasy look with

each other.

"What's going on?" I asked, a little breathless.

191

One minute everything's peaceful and quiet and nice, and now…this? What got Edward

angry? And Jesus, could we not just have one day, sans drama?

Laurie tore out of the open patio doors a few feet away, "uh, gonna need some help in

here!" His eyes clapped onto my face and his whole face lit up. "Bella hunny! How are

you?"

"YOU GO WITHIN _BREATHING _DISTANCE OF HER AGAIN AND I'LL SEW

THAT SMART FUCKING MOUTH OF YOURS SHUT!"

_Just peachy_…

I rubbed at my eyes roughly, trying to rid them of sleep. "Laurie, what's the matter?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but turned suddenly as a shrill – too familiar for

my own liking – voice began screeching.

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND THERE AND DO _NOTHING _WHILST THIS

ANIMAL THREATENS ME?"

Aw crap!

Jane.

And I was having such a nice day too.

I batted Emmett's hand away and made to stand up, using Jasper as a support.

"Bella baby…" Emmett began warily. "Where you going?"

To stop Edward from _murdering _Sully's daughter…

Honest to God, everyone knows those two can't be in the same room as each other!

Which _genius _allowed that to happen?

It was then that I noticed that the laptop I'd been using earlier to do my work, was

smashed to smithereens on the terracotta floor tiles. My notes that Aro and I had spent a

couple of hours composing…were ripped to shreds. My copy of Katherine Mansfield's

_Short Stories_…unrecognisable.

What…

Who…?

My train of thought stopped there.

192

I turned back to my boys. "Did _she _do that?" I asked disbelievingly, pointing back

towards the mess.

None of them seemed to want to answer me.

I took that as a yes.

But…why? I mean, she's a nasty piece of work, but seriously? Destroying a laptop and all

of my notes? You've got to be kidding, right?

My eyes floated back to the heap of torn and broken bits on the floor. And suddenly, I

wasn't confused as to why anybody would ever do that, or perplexed at the idea of

anybody wanting to break a brand new computer. No, I was…angry. Aro and I had spent

time on that…together. We'd been making freakin' memories, for Christ sake! And she

has to come in and _ruin _that? She's not happy, so nobody else can be?

Vindictive little bitch!

I started walking towards the mound. I bent carefully when I reached a large piece of the

computer…the screen. I picked it up and hugged it to me.

I'd been having _such _a good day…

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DON'T GET TO SAY HER NAME!"

_Oh Edward_… Still in there…fighting for me…always fighting for me.

"Bella darlin'?" Jasper called. "Why don't you come and sit back down?"

I hugged the laptop screen to me even tighter. _Why _did she have to ruin it? Why couldn't

she just let it be?

"Bella?" Emmett said, anxiety lacing his voice.

"OH THAT'S MOTHERFUCKING RICH, COMING FROM THE GIRL WHO

MURDERED HER OWN MOTHER!"

"Bella…" Jasper trailed off, "please come here sweetheart."

I was torn.

There was this huge part of me that wanted to man the hell up, march straight in there and

give that viper a _piece of my mind_. How dare she have the audacity to ruin these things,

things that Aro and I had worked on – together. I mean, it was just such a petty, cruel

thing to do.

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I was so angry that she'd done it. I could have spat nails I was that mad. And I wanted

nothing more than to slap her six ways to Sunday…that was; until I remembered that this

was me - Bella Swan. Frail, pathetic, useless… I'd hobble in there, she'd take one swatch

at me and make some horrid comment – and that would be the end of it. I'd end up a

panicked, shaking, blubbering mess whilst everyone tried to calm me down, and Edward

would probably, actually kill her.

Not such a happy ending.

I hated this. Hated that I couldn't stand up to her. If I could guarantee she wouldn't bring

certain things up, then I'd jump on in and smack her about a little. But there was no

guarantee of that. In fact, it was a relatively solid actuality that she would use my past

against me, just as Edward was currently using hers against her. You use what you've got

to fight, right? Who said anything about it ever being fair?

Unfortunately for me, that meant wimping out and staying on this side of the patio doors.

Jane would remain un-slapped. And I'd just have to button it and let everybody else sort it

out.

Life as I know it.

"Uh…Em, gonna need a hand!" Laurie called over his shoulder as he rushed back into the

house.

Good Lord, had Edward finally been pushed over the edge and knifed her?

"Bella baby, please go sit with Jasper," Emmett's eyes implored me as he darted passed to

follow after Laurie.

I nodded glumly, to nobody in particular. My shoulders sagged and my good day mood

had completely evaporated. Damn her!

I slowly moved my bare feet over the tiles, lifting the hem of my dress slightly - being

mindful of any sharp pieces of the 'used to be a computer', and met Jasper back at the day

bed.

He smiled sadly at me, gently grabbed hold of one of my arms and pulled me down to

him. I sagged against his body, wrapping my arms around his neck and inhaling his

lovely Jasper scent. Hmmm, smelt like a freshly laundered basket of washing…all clean

and crisp. Yum.

"What happened Jaz?" I whispered.

His face nuzzled into my hair, inhaling deeply. "Nothing for you to worry about, Bella."

C_learly_…

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I didn't want to settle for that. "Jasper, it sounds like World War III is about to break out

in there. What's going on?"

I could feel the tension in his jaw tighten against the side of my head as his teeth gnashed

together. "It's being handled, darlin'. What do you fancy for dinner?"

I closed my eyes and held in a sigh. "Jasper, be reasonable."

"No, Bella. You don't need the worry. Just let us deal with it."

Oh, he was bringing out the big guns, getting all firm voiced – off the table.

"Edward wouldn't actually hurt her, would he?" I was genuinely curious. Hate her as I

may, I'm not sure I wanted any real harm coming her way. I might have wanted to slap

her silly, but the thought of Edward going off on her…well; I wouldn't wish it on most.

Jasper didn't say anything. I took that as another unanswered yes and squirmed

uncomfortably at the thought of it.

I buried myself deeper into Jasper's embrace, thinking that maybe, just maybe, if I buried

deep enough, I could loose myself in him and escape to a place where Jane could not find

and taunt me. I didn't think such a place existed, but it was worth a try.

My mouth found purchase against the crook of his neck, the material of his shirt acting as

a barrier to his skin. I didn't like it. I wanted to be back home, in bed with my boys - me

in my pyjamas and the m in theirs…all bare chests and tangled limbs, with their skin

readily available to touch.

I missed that. Being at Aro's was refreshing…and relaxing. But my boys weren't here

come bedtime. I had my own room here that admittedly, didn't get used a whole lot. But

on the few occasions me and the boys did stay over, it was there, ready to use…the bed

large enough for us all. But this stay was different. I didn't have anyone at night-time. So

Aro had moved me into a suite next to his. I left my door open and he his, just in case a

nightmare decided to visit. I'd been lucky enough to escape one so far.

I was becoming increasingly frustrated with Jaspers shirt. The boys were coming by for

dinner each day, but I missed and craved the physical contact with them that only we

knew. Aro had been highly attentive, but he wasn't them…nobody could replace _them_.

Jasper must have sensed my frustration. Of course he did, I had no doubt the boys were

missing my touch just as much as I was missing theirs. He sat me up so that I wasn't

leaning against him, reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

I _may _have dived on him.

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He scooted us back further into the bed, pulling me close as my hands roamed greedily

over his torso…coveting what was mine…what I had missed. My lips went straight to

that delectable collarbone of his and my nose inhaled deeply, drinking him in as he pulled

the soft throw over us. He lay back against the pillows, and I adjusted my position…my

legs tangled tightly with his as my upper half sunk onto his chest.

Jaspers fingers dug into my hips, gripping the material of my dress and sliding it up. One

of his hands remained there, tracing circles against my bare thigh. His other hand went

_straight _into my hair.

Home.

I felt better immediately. This is what I needed.

One of my hands unconsciously moved to the light stubble on his jaw, my fingernails

scratching lightly over it. I think I heard him _purr_, and my eyes grew heavy.

I have no idea how much time passed. I was vaguely aware of footsteps approaching, the

daybed sinking and being jostled about a little. I came to just enough to register that I was

now sprawled out over Emmett's bare chest, with Edward to one side playing with my

hand and Jasper on the other, playing with my hair.

_All _shirts had been heaped to one side of the bed. Things were just as they should be.

(-)

Dinner had been…eventful.

We'd stayed out on the patio…on the bed. The boys refused to move and go inside like

'civilised beings' to eat at the table, much to Aro's annoyance. I think I ate most of my

food directly off of Emmett's chest, much to Emmett's delight and Edward and Japer's

envy.

Silly boys.

They also refused to go into details about what had happened with Jane, and I made a

mental note to ask Aro about it in the morning.

Aro had attempted to kick them out at ten and put me to bed. They finally left at half

eleven… but only after Aro threatened them with more night watch.

I had difficulty settling down in bed, but I felt my eyes finally giving in to sleep as the

clock on the nightstand flashed two fifteen. I was gonna have to have a really long lie in

the morning; I wouldn't function well otherwise.

196

I was rudely snapped from my nearly-asleep state by the sound of the window being

opened. I was about a second away from hyperventilating with panic when Edward half

whispered, half choked that it was just him.

I bolted upright, watching as he somehow managed to squeeze himself through the slim

gap. It was rather amusing. He managed to get half way through, and the proceeded to

doggie walk his hands across the carpet as he wiggled his ass and legs in…landing with

an almighty thump just as the window slammed down shut.

He sprung up, stalking towards me with a proud grin plastered across his face, shedding

clothing all over the floor. By the time he reached me, he was in nothing but his boxers. I

licked my lips. He looked delicious. And this felt so…bad! So…naughty!

The mattress sunk as he crawled up towards me…slowly…teasingly…letting me openly

appreciate the freakin' God that he was.

His elbows bent and he lowered those delectable lips of his to mine. I think I moaned.

Hard to tell. I was somewhere between a dazzled and confused state.

He rose up fractionally. "Hi," he whispered.

I looked at him suspiciously, raising my eyebrows. "Edward…does Aro know you're

here?"

He grinned over me, his nose skimming mine. "Nope," he popped the 'p'.

"Ah, so that wasn't you practicing your mad Spiderman climbing skills then...you were

_breaking in_!" I laughed. "Aren't you mobsters supposed to be graceful and never put a

foot wrong? That entrance was like watching a chicken giving birth to a cow."

His lips brushed over mine again lightly. "Baby, that's…kinda fucked up!"

I slapped his arm jokingly, "I just don't want you getting in trouble."

That may have been a bit of a lie. Seriously, I felt like some naughty teenage girl who'd

snuck a guy into her room…I loved it. It was oddly…thrilling, having never been the sort

of teen to sneak a guy into her room, or the sort of teen to have a guy – period.

I'd been cheated, quite clearly. I should make the most of this.

"I won't get in any so long as you can keep quiet…" He trailed off seductively, trailing

kisses down my jaw.

_Ohhhh_…

I think I've mentioned Homer noises before, and the puddle-some goo?

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I smirked, "well far be it from me to be the one who gets you kicked out…"

He moaned. Edward moaned. I made Edward Cullen moan. I still wasn't used to that –

not with any of them. I did – another – mental victory lap.

"How are those ribs feeling?" He mumbled against my chin, nibbling it.

I could think of something else I needed nibbled…

_Jesus Bella_! _When did you become such a _…_a_... _tart_?

_Around about the same time you fell in love with Edward_, _Emmett and Jasper_! _The lovin's_

_pretty good_…

I was a little breathless in my reply. "They're fine. My night time medication kinda

knocks the pain right out."

I'd been told no sex for six weeks. _Six weeks_! Not only did I have _three _men to knock

back, I had three _insatiable _men to knock back. I mean, it's no easy feat.

It had been nearly three weeks since the accident, I figured if we took it slow…

"Does it still hurt when you breathe?" He was making a delicious, wet trail from

underneath my chin…down to my collarbone.

"Not really, I just can't overexert myself." I panted.

His eyes flashed to mine, a slow, salacious grin creeping its way onto those fine lips of

his. "I'll bare that in mind.'

_Christ_, the man just screams sex.

He winked as he laced his fingers into the waist of my shorts and began easing them

down my legs. I kicked them off as they reached my toes.

His nose skimmed _all _the way up my legs until he reached the apex of my thigh…and

breathed in deeply.

_Holy-fucking-shit-balls_!

He sighed. "Oh, I've missed you…"

He began to press light, open mouthed kisses along the triangular 'V' crease between my

thigh and…Lady Bella…

God that felt nice. I'd almost forgotten how good it felt. Memories didn't do it justice.

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His lips skimmed over my pubic bone and began their decent down…down…down.

I gasped.

Edward's deliciously long fingers brushed the outside of my lips, opening me to him

slightly. I had to concentrate really hard on my breathing; I couldn't let it become too

laboured. A chore, if ever there was one.

"God baby, you smell good," he groaned.

I think we were both panting with the anticipation…he was gazing up into my eyes…I

was gazing down into his…wanting…needing…feeling. Jesus I wanted him. I licked my

lips, the burning intensity of his stare making me squirm.

I gave him the nod, and he bent to place a feather light kiss to the outside of my lips, right

before the tip of his tongue snaked in-between…_ever _so slightly. I held my

breath…waiting…expecting…desperately _needing_.

"I love you," he breathed as his tongue recoiled momentarily.

"I love you t-"

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

We jumped apart, Edward falling backwards from between my thighs. His dick was

tented in his boxers, springing and bouncing up and down - like one of those metal

doorstoppers you can ping, watching as it wobbles backwards and forwards…the wobble

effect!

I stifled a giggle.

"EDWARD CULLEN YOU HAVE EXACTLY _ONE _MINUTE TO GET YOUR

BACKSIDE BACK OUT OF THAT WINDOW AND OFF OF MY PROPERTY!" Aro

boomed through the door, wiggling the doorknob threateningly.

Edward glared in his direction, his nostrils flaring angrily.

I bit my lip…I _should _have been embarrassed, I _should _have flushed scarlet at the thought

of being caught…dick handed!

I _exploded _into a fit of laughter.

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Edward _was not _impressed. "COCKBLOCKER!" He yelled back in response, scowling

down at his now throbbing 'Mr'.

Looked like I was ending the day on a high after all…

**Let me know thoughts :)**

Chapter 12

**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight – no copyright infringement intended.**

**A/N: Apologies for the (extremely) late update, weather's been mental here in bonny**

**Scotland and the rush to get sorted for Christmas was crazy. This one's a little**

**longer to make up for the wait - over 10,000 freakin' words, I'm knackered! I**

**haven't responded to any reviews and for that, I am sorry. I'm crap, I know. But**

**thank you all for leaving them, they make me melt.**

**Massive thumbs up to everyone reviewing/adding the story to their favs/alerts/C2's.**

**Chapter teasers/pictures can be found on the blog: positively-4th-streetsfics(**

**dot)blogspot(dot)com/**

_Chapter Twelve_

_Bella_

I closed my door over with trembling hands and stole straight for my bag. I needed a

smoke. Desperately. I needed to sit down, smoke myself into oblivion, and try to sort out

my head. Yes, that's what I needed to do. It would make me feel better. It would.

Absolutely.

Except my bag had taken on the sudden form of Mary Poppins' magical carpet bag and

was spewing all kinds of shit at me. Deodorant, lip balm, pieces of paper, pens, makeup,

keys, handkerchiefs, chewing gum, a bottle of water, aspirin, a mouldy orange – fucking

EW! Christ Jasper! Trying to make me eat better and what happens? I end up with

mouldy shite in my bag. Fucking excellent.

A tampon, pepper spray, doggie treats, batteries, my iPod, my cell charger, two books,

my wallet, several coins - Jesus…it was like some Santa Claus with short term memory

loss had mistakenly filled up my handbag with not-so-tasty-treats instead of my stocking.

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I eventually found my lighter…but no cigarettes. Ain't that just a bit of terrific? I stuffed

several pieces of chewing gum into my mouth angrily and continued my search, opting to

just empty the damn bag's contents onto the floor.

Nothing. Nada. Niente. Nichts. Nic. Neits. _Fuck all_.

I began to pace, yanking at the roots of my hair as I wore several holes into the carpet. I

needed to calm down before I could even _attempt _to think this all over. I couldn't be near

them at the minute. I'd flip. Of course, I was gonna flip if I didn't settle down and get

myself under control…and if I flipped, the whole house would soon know about it.

I wanted to scream.

I tried to focus on the gum I was chewing. The bursts of mint, the pools of saliva,

swallowing, gnashing my teeth together and swirling my tongue around the sticky,

stretchy mass. I flipped the gum from side to side, no doubt looking like a damn hamster

the way the congealed lump bloated my cheeks outwards. It wasn't helping. My mind was

whirling. I needed to sit down and smoke…relax…compartmentalise my thoughts.

I could have sworn James had put a fresh pack of smokes in my bag the night I'd left – he

_told me _he had. And I hadn't had any; there had been no need for me to go in search of

the packet since my arrival. And now was not a convenient time to find they weren't

bloody there!

Fuck!

My breathing was choppy and I couldn't determine if the rising panic I was feeling was

because of what I'd just witnessed, or because I wasn't quite sure of my reaction to it. I

just felt…uneasy. But was the unease a direct result of seeing them do…_that_, or was it

because watching them do what they'd done…hadn't bothered me the way it would a sane

person?

WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CIGARETTES?

I mean, I should be repulsed. I should be running for the damn hills. I should want to get

far, far away from them. Should, should, should, should, should!

So why wasn't I? Why was I here, searching for a pack of smokes, instead of bolting?

_Because you're insane_, _quite clearly_…

Oh shut up!

I let out a frustrated grunt. My hair hurt from the way I'd been yanking at it. My

shoulders were rising and falling too quickly. My chest was starting to hurt from the extra

201

exertion. And I was entirely too wound up over the packet of cigarettes that had

mysteriously spouted legs and run away. No doubt Emmett or Jasper had taken them out.

They were now officially on my shit list. Bastards.

I had been having such a…normal time of it these last few days. Well, take out the Jane

factor, and today's weirdness, and y'know, all had been well. I'd managed to wheedle a

little information out of Aro about what happened yesterday afternoon, and when I say

wheedle, I mean I _accidentally on purpose _'overheard' him whilst he was on the phone,

beefing up his security. The conversations had been short and broken up but the words

'weaselled her way in' and 'found standing over Bella' were easy enough to discern. Other

than that, I was still at a complete loss over the whole thing. I was beginning to conclude

that Aro was being deliberately obtuse when explaining what had happened over the

phone. Perhaps he knew I'd been trying to listen in. Highly likely. He knew everything.

Edward's reaction to Jane had made a little more sense at least. She wasn't allowed within

ten miles of me usually, being _alone _with me was an unspoken faux pas, and Aro had

mentioned that she was found 'standing over me', Jasper and Emmett had mentioned

something about this as well, though admittedly, I thought I'd dreamt it. The thought of

having that girl so close…it was enough to make a person baulk. I shuddered every time I

thought of it. And I couldn't imagine _why _she would have been stood over me. But she

certainly caught Edward's attention. He'd been in a foul mood over dinner this evening.

Glared at Aro the whole time. Initially I'd thought that perhaps it had something to do

with him sneaking in last night, but that wasn't it. I didn't know what 'it' was, but I was

starting to question if it had something to do with Jane.

They'd all point blank refused to give up any information on what had happened

yesterday. I eventually let it drop. I wanted to know, but it wasn't worth making them all

mad at me. And judging by Edward's mood at dinner, I'm not sure they could have

handled being pushed on the subject. Jane was hardly an instigator for pleasant

conversation, especially around Edward.

Aro had been busy today. I don't think twenty minutes went by without a phone call

interrupting us, or his gateman buzzing up to let him know that somebody was here to see

him. I'd found it all very odd, considering he had supposedly taken a few days 'off',

though I can't say I minded. Not really. It was nice to be able to just relax and sleep the

day away, worry free. He had helped me redo all of my work this morning though, which

didn't take long between the two of us. I was beginning to think the man had a

photographic memory or something. I'd questioned it, to which he'd rolled his eyes and

told me to stop being so silly, but not before informing me that '_photographic _memory'

was incorrect terminology, the proper term being an _eidetic _memory – to which, I'd rolled

_my _eyes.

Dinner had been an intense affair. Edward's obvious mood did nothing to brighten

anybody's spirits. I was on edge with the atmosphere and refused to argue when Edward

pulled me down to sit in his lap, instead of letting me sit at the table…in a chair…like a

202

normal person. Aro had narrowed his eyes at him, told him to stop being such a barbarian

and let me sit down properly. Edward's returning _glower _set my teeth on edge, and I'd

determined to remain seated in his lap throughout dinner, if for no other reason than to try

and act as a shield between him and Aro. I didn't know what was going on between the

two of them, but I was fairly certain no weapons would have been drawn with me in the

middle.

Edward seemed to go out of his way during dinner to be difficult. The soup wasn't hot

enough, then it was too hot, then it was too bland, then it was over seasoned. The fish was

overcooked, the wine was 'wrong'; the pudding was too sweet _and _undersized. By the end

of it, even I felt like smacking him. Aro however, looked unfazed. Cool, calm and

collected. If he was angry, he didn't show it. Emmett and Jasper remained casual

observers, opting to remain relatively silent and simply roll their eyes from time to time.

Half way through, I'd had enough. I'd thrown my fork down loudly onto my plate and

asked them what the hell was going on. A resounding 'nothing' met me, and I'd kept my

mouth shut after that.

Off the table…

I'd been a little confused when my boys took off straight after dinner, Emmett cleared it

_all _up with a 'have shit to do, baby'. Edward pissed bear and Jaz off _monumentally _when

he refused to let me go so that they could say goodbye. I honestly had zero idea what had

gotten into him. Then of course I got irritated with him for his behaviour and not

_allowing _me to say bye to the other two, and then he got all nostrils-flaring-eyes-blazingteeth-

clenching-steam-blowing-out-of-ears- kind of mad at my reaction, and we ended up

arguing. He told me to 'stop being unreasonable' before leaning in for a kiss, and I shoved

him out the door, told him he could come back when he'd stopped being an ass and

slammed the damn door in his face. I'd simply reached my limit of crap I could take

before I found myself flying into panic mode. If he wanted to be jerk, he could be one

elsewhere. I hoped Emmett and Jasper mowed his caveman ass down for it; maybe he'd

listen to them.

I loved my boys more than anything, really I did. But hothead was so temperamental at

times. It was honestly like loving a schizophrenic the way his moods swung so rapidly.

Though I hadn't seen him pull the caveman shit for a long, long time. The last time he got

all territorial and refused to 'share' me, they'd been incredibly stressed out with mob crap.

So past experience dictated that something was off - very off.

I'd yelled goodnight to Aro and stomped up to bed, determined to have an early night and

resigned to the fact that I was surrounded by crazies.

Sleep came relatively easy too me, despite my whirlpool of a mind flinging thoughts at

me from every direction. That was, until I was startled awake by screams, screams I'd

initially thought were simply a figment of my sleepy imagination. I couldn't have been

more wrong.

203

A sudden, sharp tapping sounded out, shaking the wooden door in its frame. "Bella, you

awake?" Jasper called through the door sweetly.

I halted my pacing and stopped breathing, hopeful that he'd go away none the wiser…

Oh who the hell was I kidding; they all had super sleuth senses! Damn mobsters.

Regardless, I remained still.

"Bella your light's on darlin', is everything alright?"

Just _peachy_!

I didn't reply, opting to clap my hand over my mouth instead. I'd bet good money he

could hear me anyways.

"Bella?"

"What's wrong?" Emmett 'whispered' on the other side of the door.

Jesus, were they all congregating out there or something, hosting the annual mobster's

upper floor picnic? Go away!

"She's not answering," Jaz replied anxiously.

I heard bear scoff. "No shit Jaz, it's…three fifteen in the morning. She'll be asleep!"

That's right bear; your girl's fast asleep. Go home…

"But her light's on," Jasper argued.

I could practically _hear _Emmett's eye roll. "You know what she's like, she probably fell

asleep reading again."

Yes, reading. That's right. I feel asleep reading. Perfect! I was absolutely _not _skulking

about looking for cigarettes at stupid o'clock in the morning, whilst fighting off a panic

attack having just witnessed my three boys…at work. Fell asleep reading is far

saner…normal, even. Normal's good. Not generally a term that could be applied to me

and my life, but it _could _be, in this instance. I could work normal.

"Yeah…I guess. I could have sworn I heard her moving about though." I could picture

Jasper frowning, looking at the door as though he could see through it.

"Jaz, she was probably just shifting about in bed."

"No, it sounded like she was walking about. Like her feet were padding against the

carpet, Em."

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"Maybe she was coming back from the bathroom," Emmett tried.

I could now picture Jasper looking at Emmett as though he were utterly stupid. "If she's

just gone or come back from the bathroom, she'd hear me, Emmett! Do you have any idea

how much of a twat you just made yourself sound?"

"Fuck you Whitlock! Why are you still on _this _side of the fucking door if you're worried?

_That's _stupid! Someone could have kidnapped her or some shit and because of your lame

ass hesitating, they could have taken her!"

_What_?

"I take it back, Em. _That _made you sound like a complete twat."

"Well," bear fired back indignantly, "why haven't you gone in to check on her? Isn't that

what we came up here to do? Quit being a fucking stalker and get in, or get out of the

way!"

"Emmett, how the fuck can I be a stalker? I'm in a relationship with her! Is your brain

even connected to your mouth?"

"What's going on?" Oh fabulous, Edward too. And he was the worst of the three. He had

the hearing of a freakin' super bat.

"Bella's not answering." Jasper replied.

There was a long pause in their 'chatter'.

"Well, it's…three in the morning, Jasper." Edward said slowly, patronising. "She'll be

asleep."

Jaz huffed, no doubt glaring at the other two. "Enough with the damn time checks! I

thought I heard her moving."

"She'll be turning over in bed. Jesus Japer, get your panties in a twist much?"

"Get bent Edward. And she wasn't moving around in bed, she was walking about!" Jasper

snapped.

"Oh for Christ sake, move!" I heard shuffling. "Can't do anything fucking right, can you?

Is it really that hard to just open the door - " Edward paused. "Why is the door shut?"

Aw, crap. Good one Bella!

The door handle rattled…but wouldn't open.

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Fuck! Had I locked the door _as well_? I didn't remember doing that.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

I could imagine all three of them, frowns in places, staring at the handle as the cogs

began to turn, trying to make sense of the closed/locked door.

"Bella?" Edward's not-so-calm-anymore voice called out. His hand knocked the wood

three times.

I was frozen. Like a deer caught in the headlights.

"I told you!" Jasper half yelled accusingly.

"Bella never locks her door," Emmett spoke over Jasper, confusion lacing his words.

"Bella alright?" Aro chimed in for good measure. The more the bloody merrier at this

point!

"Fuck the lock Emmett!" Jasper barked. "She doesn't even _shut _her door when she's in by

herself!"

"And you're just noticing this now?" Edward accused, shaking the handle again, this time

with more force.

"Fuck you Edward, you didn't notice either!"

They were right; I always kept the door open. First wrong move Swan! Without thinking,

I smacked my hands over my head suddenly, covering my eyes.

And then there was silence.

I winced at my carelessness. Stupid Bella, stupid, stupid, stupid!

I could just see it now, the four of them stood there, snapping their head's up, like four

mutt's who'd just had a hot bitch in heat strut her stuff past them, as they heard the

smacking noise from inside my room.

I waited.

I breathed heavily.

I knew what was coming.

And I still remained rooted to the ground, unmoving.

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And then…

"BELLA?" Multiple hands began pounding my door.

I should have said something, hell; I should have crawled into bed and feigned sleep, and

then feigned waking up to them all pounding my door to dust. But I was crap at lying.

And they were like human lie detectors. You can see how that would put me in an 'I'm

fucked' predicament, yes?

"What's with all the noise?" Laurie boomed over the banging.

Fantastic. James was no doubt there too. The only one I hadn't seen do…anything. He'd

been there, but he hadn't…participated.

"Bella baby, open the door!" I couldn't even discern the voice, there was too much

thumping.

"You sure she's not just sleeping?"

"SHUT UP JAMES!" A myriad of angry, anxious voices yelled. That pissed me off, they

were always giving James a hard time, they needed to lay off him.

"Just break down the damn door!"

"Oh sure Rambo, golden idea! Welcome to my home - please feel free to trash it. My

bedroom's just next door if you'd like to go take a shit on the Egyptian cotton sheets!"

Aro bit out.

"Something's wrong with Bella! Can we worry about home repairs, like, fucking later

please?" Emmett snapped.

"You don't know there's something wrong though…" James trailed off.

Thank you James, always having my back…

"SHUT UP JAMES!"

I glared at the door. We were gonna have to have another little 'discussion' about how the

spoke to each other. That would go down like a lead balloon.

"Bella, can you answer us please?" Edward's voice was stern…and strained.

Crap. I was making them worry. I didn't want them to worry. I didn't want all the drama.

But I just wasn't sure I could face them. They'd take one look at me and _know_. Not only

that, but I doubted my abilities to look any of them in the eye after seeing what

they'd…done. They'd see the guilt washed _all _over my face.

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"Emmett," was all Edward said. I could hear shuffling, like people were backing away.

And I knew what would come next. I started biting my nails, glancing furiously about the

room, looking for something…anything.

"This is ridiculous! You're overreacting. She's probably sound asleep and you're about to

kick down the damn door!"

"James I swear to fucking Christ, I'm one more word away from fucking cutting you up!"

Edward seethed.

"Can't you see how absurd this is? You're gonna scare the shit out of her! You honestly

_can't _see that?" James fired back argumentatively.

"Will you fucking shut up? We don't need _your _input, _fuck you very much_!"

"You're gonna end up making her fit. You're gonna beat down the door, scare her shitless

and she's gonna flip. Fucking excellent!" Jeez, James was really growing a pair tonight.

"Well what the fuck would you suggest, _genius_? Let's evaluate the facts, shall we?"

Edward snarled. "One, the door's shut! Two, the door's locked! Three, the light is on.

Four, we all heard her a minute ago. Five, she's not answering. Six, you're stupid. So shut

the fuck up!"

"You think you girls could pull each others pigtails some other time? Can we focus here,

please?" Emmett cut in.

"Emmett, will you just get on with it already?" Jasper barked.

"Fuck off Jasper! It's not my fault you lot are being a bunch of pussies!"

You see what I have to live with? They're a bunch of infants toting guns. And they were

getting progressively worse. Though, I had a feeling it was just because of the stress these

last couple of weeks. They tended to be _slightly _more agreeable when everything was all

flowers and lambs in the world.

My eyes landed on my iPod amongst the heaped handbag mass on the floor, just as

Emmett's foot made first contact with the door. In a rushed flurry I bent to scoop it up,

my trembling fingers switching it on and locating a random playlist.

Another thump. I knew enough to know that Aro's doors were thick…for a reason. It

would take a person a fair amount of time to batter it down. But we weren't talking about

a normal person. We were talking about Emmett McCarty. And I'd give it another four

rams or so before it buckled entirely.

The third kick made the wood splinter slightly. And I didn't think. I just did.

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"Stop it!" I squeaked out.

The banging stopped instantly. Only to be replaced by a flush of worried voices.

"Bella?" Edward.

"Baby, you alright?" Emmett.

"Bella, everything Okay?" Jasper.

"Fine," my voice betrayed me. "Will you stop doing that?"

"Told you!" James put in helpfully.

"Bella open the door," Edward commanded.

I brought my hand up to clutch my hair, pulling on it, my iPod digging painfully into my

temple. I didn't want to open the door. I was scared. And my breathing was

hitching…catching. Fuck!

"Bella open the door!" Edward repeated.

"No," I whispered.

"What was that?"

I cleared my throat and attempted a steadier tone. "I said no."

_Fail_!

"Bella baby, you're worrying us. What's wrong?" Jasper asked affectionately.

_Everything_, I wanted to reply. _Everything's wrong_. _I'm _wrong. All fucking wrong.

Someone put me together in a rush and missed a few steps in the installation process.

Cognitive abilities – royally _fucked _and in _desperate _need of rewiring.

Sense of self-preservation – _zero_.

Definitions of right and wrong – need some _serious _rewrites after tonight.

Ability to function independently – _snort_.

Logical thinking – scrapped that a long time ago, I wasn't using it.

Instead I replied, "nothing."

209

I sucked in a ragged breath, feeling my body shake. My eyes began to sting and the panic

was welling.

_Not the time Swan_! _Get it together_!

Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out…

"Bella sweetheart, you weren't answering…" Aro trailed off.

My gaze once again landed on the small iPod in my hands. Would they hear a lie? They

could certainly always see one. But would they be able to _hear _one? I decided to chance

it. A risk worth taking, if it held them back.

"I was listening to some music," I replied timidly.

"I can't hear any music, Bella." Hothead stated heatedly.

I huffed. "I was listening to my iPod, Edward."

"You're lying." _Oh for God sake_! "And your breathing's gone to shit. Open the door."

I scowled at the wood, wanting very much to throw something at it. I was still mad at him

after his performance earlier on this evening. "No. And my breathing is _fine_."

"No it's not. And stop saying fine!"

"Fine!" I retorted childishly.

"Bella!" He barked.

"Edward!" I threw back.

"Open this door!"

"No!"

I heard him growl.

"Well," Emmett began acerbically, "that went well."

"Oh shut your face!" Edward hissed sharply. "Bella open the door!"

"No. I'm alright. I just want to be by myself."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edward shouted.

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I scoffed. "Don't be dense Edward, it's not very becoming."

I heard several chortles sound on the other side.

"You've got thirty seconds to unlock this door, or we're putting it in!"

"You will not!"

"I will so!"

I narrowed my eyes. Humph. They wouldn't do anything of the sort! I gathered my

courage and strode purposefully towards the door.

"Thank fucking Christ!" Edward muttered.

I had to snort. Did the arrogant ass actually think I was walking over to _unlock _it? _Fat_

_chance_. I plonked myself down on the carpet directly in front of the wood and leaned

back against it. Score one for Swan! Eat my dust, Cullen!

There was a momentary lapse into silence.

"Did you…did…" Edward stuttered, disbelieving. "Did you just sit down in front of the

damn door? Bella I'm not playing, stop being stubborn and open up!"

You bet your freakin' ass I did. I'd like to see them kick in a door with me sat right next to

it. "I've already told you, I just want to be by myself Edward."

"You're being ridiculous!"

"And you're still being an ass!"

"He's always an ass…" Emmett mumbled.

"You do realise we can pick our way in?" He said menacingly. "And shut the fuck up

Em!"

"Not if I've jammed something into the lock you can't!"

I heard something jangle…keys?

Somebody cleared their throat. "Edward, she said she was fine. Maybe we should just

leave her," Jasper attempted, although the anxiety in his voice suggested he'd like nothing

more than to bash the door in.

The sound of metal scraping metal made me shiver. "I'm going fucking nowhere. This

needs to be sorted out - now."

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"Edward, she sounds upset. Let's just come back in the morning. Let her sleep on it,

yeah?" Emmett tried reasoning.

"Fuck. That." Edward ground out. The scraping metal sounds started again. It took me

longer than it should have to recognise that the sounds were coming from the damn lock.

For Christ sake!

I bolted upright, suddenly feeling very Medusa-esque – angry, hissing snake hair and

everything. Why wouldn't he _listen _to me? "Edward, just stop it! _Please _leave me alone."

I implored.

I heard him scoff. "Yeah, that's _fucking likely_," he began to grumble, fiddling with the

lock some more. It then occurred to me that he could have just picked his way in to begin

with, and hadn't. He'd asked Emmett to break it down instead. Typical. Typical 'I have no

patience and wait for no one' Edward.

My hands found each other, sweaty and nervous…wringing together. "Edward please just

leave it!"

"This is bullshit! Leave fucking what?"

"I don't want to see you!" I yelled suddenly, exasperated. "Go away!" I _may _have stamped

my foot.

"Are you fucking _high_?" He snarled. "What's gotten into you?"

"Edward…" Aro warned, telling him to back off without having to vocalise the actual

words.

"NO! Get to fuck!" Edward snapped back. "Bella, what's going on?"

I felt like screaming. I couldn't answer that question. I didn't quite know myself. _What_

_was going on_? What did I say? 'Oh well, I woke up thirsty, went downstairs for a drink

and happened across a bunch of _monsters _doing monstrous things, who, oh, I just happen

to love and regard as family. But a man's gotta work, right? So never mind. Let's just

forget it. Would someone put the kettle on please?'

"Bella?" Edward called through, his voice hardening.

And in other news, it also reminded me of…that time, but I mean, y'know, whatever, no

biggy. Some of the things they'd done and said had been things that I had first hand

experience with, said experiences fucking me up for the rest of my pitiful, damned life.

Screwing me up and spitting me out to remain a colossal _fuck up _for the rest of my shitty

little existence. Never being comfortable in my own skin. Being afraid of fucking

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everything. Suffering meltdown after meltdown. In reality, probably needing fucking

sectioned.

"Bella?"

And it was those things that they always tried to protect me from. They were the one's

always reassuring me, comforting me, loving me. Through all of it. And yet, they'd done

the same themselves, just tonight, I'd seen them _do _it. They'd done just what _he _had done

to me. My shields, my hero's, really _were _bad guys themselves. The prince charming's in

my happily ever after were the things that plagued other people's nightmares. How many

people were just like me, all because of them? How many 'Bella's' had they created over

the years? How many lives…destroyed?

"Bella?"

And do you know the worst of it? I already knew that none of it mattered. I would never

walk away from them. They could do…that, to a hundred men and have me watch, and I

still wouldn't leave. And why? Because somewhere in the deep, dark, twisted recesses of

my mind, I knew why they'd done it. They'd done that because of me, _for _me, to protect

me. And messed up as it was, there was a part of me inside that simply…glowed,

knowing that. They were the monsters who were keeping my demons at bay. I knew

without a doubt that none of them would ever hurt me. I didn't like what they had done,

of course I hadn't. It was…horrifying to witness them like that, and yet, it was also kind

of…beautiful at the same time. Not a nice beautiful, it wasn't frilly, and colourful and

warm and full of sunshine. No. It was dark beauty...sinister and uncompromising. And it

was spectacular.

And as guilty as I was for feeling it, I'd never felt more loved.

"ISABELLA!" Edward roared furiously, scaring me from my musings and making me

jump.

I glared at the door. _Isabella_. I hated the damn dame. And he knew it. Really, really hated

it! I was Bella. No more, no less. _Always _Bella. The incubator that was my mother always

called me Isabella. She was the last person I ever wanted reminded of.

And suddenly Medusa was back, each snake rattling with a different emotion. Fear, hurt,

confusion, unease, dread, love, but mostly, mostly I was just pissed. Because my bubble

had been popped. Some little shitbag with a needle came along and popped my ignorance

is bliss perception of everything that encompassed my life, and I'd been forced to open

my damn eyes. Forced to see what they tried so ha rd to shield me from. It was all so

conflicting. I was being torn down the middle. One half of me screaming to get away,

that none of this was alright, that none of it was normal, that I should be scared shitless.

And I was, to an extent. But the other half of me, God! The other half of me wanted to

run right to them. Thank them for looking out for me, for keeping me safe. Let them

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know that as fucked up as it was, I loved them for doing what they done. That on some

crazy level, I was…thankful.

The man in the van really needed to come and take me away – soon.

And of course, hothead was right there, making me mad, making me throw everything I'd

just witnessed aside temporarily because he'd opened his damn trap – again! Ass.

"Shit Edward!" Emmett gasped.

I threw my iPod at the door, seething. _Isabella_. I'd give him freakin' _Isabella_. Bastard.

The name chafed like an extremely uncomfortable pair of wet jeans against soft flesh.

Chafed and irritated to the point of blinded reason.

"Edward, say you're sorry!" Aro demanded.

"No."

"Edward that was uncalled for, put it right," Jasper said with a fake calmness. The

underlying agitation in his voice travelled straight to my ears, it was unmistakable.

"Are you fucking deaf? I said no."

Emmett growled. "You're a fucking prick Edward! You don't say that shit, and you know

it. Now say sorry!"

"And your balls are bigger than your brain, which, contrary to your beliefs Emmett, is not

something to be proud of. So fuck off!"

Let it never be said that Edward Cullen can't make a situation worse with his eloquent

mouth. It was no wonder he made this relationship on his part work somehow, no other

fucker would ever be able to put up with his crap. It was almost as though he needed

Jasper and Emmett to keep him in line when he went too far. Not that it seemed to be

working all that well tonight. And I was far from in the mood _to _deal with his crap.

I continued to glower at the wooden door; I wanted my laser beam eyes back…make him

look like swizz cheese if I could. "You're a dick, Edward."

He snorted. "And you're being uncharacteristically dumb tonight. Open the fuck up!"

"Don't you call her dumb you fucking ass!" Bear boomed just as Jasper finally lost it with

Edward and started yelling at him about how he spoke to me.

This was it. This was my life. And the really messed up thing was, that amongst Emmett

shouting vulgar profanities at nobody in particular, Jasper berating Edward

for…everything, Edward being his usual Assward self and arguing back, Laurie trying to

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diffuse to situation calmly, James hollering 'I told you so' repeatedly, and Aro attempting

to scream over every other voice there was to regain some semblance of propriety, that all

I could actually think about was how I _still _didn't have a cigarette. And quite fucking

frankly, that was all I wanted right now. I didn't want to think about mob crap, or torture,

or arguments, or rivalries, or panic attacks, or broken ribs, or shitty moms. I just wanted a

damn smoke.

I swiped at me eyes roughly, rubbing them, digging my knuckles into the sockets and

deciding that it felt incredibly good. I took a deep breath and strode towards the door,

kicking my now broken iPod out of the way and reaching for the lock. The click sounded

and everything went quiet on the other side of the door right before I swung it open.

Edward was directly in front of me, and he instantly came for me, relief washing over his

features and softening them. He started mumbling incoherently as he grabbed me up in a

bone crushing hug.

I shook my head, fumbled with my arms and shoved him back. A no holds bar kind of

shove. The sort of shove I wouldn't have believed possible from _me_. I had no idea I was

capable of using my pathetic, barely there body mass and moulding it into enough force

to _shove _Edward, causing him to stagger backwards. I don't think anybody missed him

rubbing the area of his chest that my fingers had struck. I made a mental note to do a

happy dance about that later. I hoped it bruised. _Isabella_.

I cut a glare at all of them. "You know, the next time I get smashed up and break ribs in a

fucking mob rivalry, and then get shot, _and then _have to put up with shit from each one of

you in the following weeks, I'd really appreciate it if when I say I want to be left alone,

you leave me the hell alone!" I spat. "Why can't you just _listen_?"

The normal effect of being chastised touched none of them. They all seemed to relax

completely upon seeing that I was indeed, _fine_, and my scolding washed straight off their

backs.

"We were just worried," Emmett breathed, leaning against the wall.

Jasper stepped forwards. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"I want a cigarette!" I snapped suddenly.

Six pairs of blinking eyes stared at me, doing nothing but that, blinking and staring. I

huffed and held out a hand, resisting the urge to start tapping my foot as I waited.

You'd think that with their combined IQ's, they'd be able to muster up enough brain

power to hand over a smoke, but no. I just continued to get freakin' blinked at. I wanted

to growl.

215

Edward came at me again, this time his finge rs prying open my eyelids as his face came

right up to mine, looking concentrated as he gazed into my eyes.

I slapped his hands away. "What are you _doing_?"

"Seriously Bella, have you taken something? You lock yourself in a room, refuse to come

out for fucking _ages_, and when you do, it's to ask for a smoke?"

"I'm not in the mood for your condescending shit right now, Edward. I just want a damn

cigarette!" I batted his hands again as he went to grab a hold of my face.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "How about you tell us what's wrong and I'll give you

one?"

"How about I jam of foot up your ass until you start automatically dispensing them

through your damn mouth?" I fired back.

He smirked. I wanted to slap him for it. "Oh baby, you know I like it when you talk dirty

to me."

Aro's hand shot out and smacked the upside of his head. "Don't be such a pig, Edward."

His scowl turned into a loving, fatherly smile as he turned to face me. "Bella sweetheart,

are you sure you're alright? You gave us a fright there."

"No, I need a smoke."

"You're getting _fuck all _until you tell us what the hell all that was about!" Edward

glowered irately.

Ass.

I stalked towards him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Or what Edward? What are you

gonna do if I don't? You gonna _torture _the information out of me?"

His entire body snapped backwards, as though I'd just shocked him. His eyes went wide

as saucers, a look of confusion taking control of his facial features. "What?"

"You heard me," I said in a low voice, not breaking eye contact.

I couldn't quite decipher his reaction. It was almost as though he thought I'd actually gone

batcrap crazy and couldn't understand what the hell I was getting at, but then there was

also that slight hint of recognition. Like somehow, a small part of him knew exactly what

I was talking about…but he was squashing it down, not wanting to even begin

contemplating that I might really _know_.

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I could feel Jaspers intense gaze on me, could practically hear the cogs in Emmett's mind

ticking over and the hallway was just…silent.

Edward's eyes sparked, his face paling ever so slightly. He cleared his throat. "It's late,

you should get some sleep."

I narrowed my eyes and made a tart 'mmm hmm' noise. "That's what I thought…" I

started taking a few steps back. "James, can I have your pack please?"

James shakily dug into his breast pocket and handed his packet out to me. I don't think

anybody was breathing. I snatched the packet from his hands and turned to walk back

into my room.

I paused at the door, my fingers gripping the wood, my voice shaky as I spoke. "Make

sure the kitchens cleared up before lunch, I'm not sure I can hold off again." And with

that, I slammed the door closed.

I heard every single whooshed breath that exhaled the minute I had the barrier between us

again.

I hastily ran to the area of the floor where I'd dumped the contents of my bag and

snatched up my lighter. I fumbled with trembling hands to get a cigarette lit, but managed

on the sixth attempt.

I didn't feel better. Not when I'd finished the first, and not when I'd smoked my seventh. I

just felt…ill. And alone.

By the time I'd stubbed out number eight and thrown the useless pack of smokes across

the room, a light tapping noise knocked against the wooden door. I didn't say anything,

but the door gently eased open to reveal James standing on the other side, looking far

tenser than I'd ever seen him before.

"Can I come in?"

I weighed up options. They pretty much came down to a 'yes' or a 'no'. James wasn't

someone that I ever let in my room at home. Not that I didn't trust him, I just

hadn't…allowed it before. But apparently, this was a night for firsts, so I cautiously

nodded my head and kept my eyes trained on him as he steeped over the threshold, closed

the door and came to sit down next to me on the sofa.

He didn't say anything for the longest time. He just sat there, right next to me, as I gazed

at the opposite wall.

"You know," he began quietly, giving me a thoughtful look. "Those guys down there

Bella, they'd do anything for you."

217

I frowned at him, completely caught of guard. "I know that."

He shook his head. "No, I don't think you do."

I opened my mouth to respond but he held his hand up to me, silently telling me not to

say anything. "Those guys down there?" He arched his eyebrows at me. "They live and

breathe you. I've never seen anything like it before, it's like without you, they don't exist.

They _can't _exist."

I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling the skin stretch beneath my fingers. "James, I

don't mean to sound like a bitch here, but I'm exhausted. It's been a long day and I'm

really not in the mood for…this."

"Perhaps not, but I think it needs to be said none the less."

"What needs to be said, James? Can we cut the damn riddles out; I'm too tired to play

_mob trivia _tonight!" I snapped.

He sighed. "I realise you've had a rough time of it the last few weeks. We've all been so

worried about you angel. But you _need _to understand Bella. They love you more than you

can probably ever comprehend. It's…bizarre in so many ways, a complete anomaly to

those of us on the outside. And it's not because the relationship isn't…conventional. It's

because of how _hard _you all love. It's…fierce."

I gaped at him. "James, have you seriously come in here to discuss the strangeness of my

relationship with my boys? _Now_? You picked _now _to come in and what, lecture me on

this?" I was sorely tempted to let the snakes make a reappearance, let them rattle and spit

at him for a few hours whilst I finally got some damn sleep. _Honest to God_!

"I'm not here to lecture you sweetheart, I promise. I'd never lecture you, you should know

that," his eyes pleaded with me to understand, the caring emotion blindingly obvious in

his stare. "I'm just trying to explain….doing a shit job of it apparently."

I shook my head wearily and attempted a softer tone. "I don't understand, James."

He smiled sadly. "Did I ever tell you about my Vicky?"

Confusion swept through me at the abrupt change of topic, and I found myself asking,

"who?"

"Vicky. _My _Vicky." He looked wistful. "She was…fuck, she was everything. You would

have loved her Bella, and she you. My God how she would have doted on you." His gaze

slipped to the floor, and I found myself sitting stunned, not quite sure what to say or do,

but recognising that for some reason, I wanted to reach out and give him a cuddle.

"_Would _have?" I gulped, noticing his use of the _past _tense.

218

He glanced up at me with glassy eyes. "Yes. Would have. She uh…" he cleared his throat

and whispered, "she disappeared."

"What do you mean she disappeared? When? Why? More importantly, who was she?"

James began to rub a hand over the stubble on his chin. "She was mine, my girl. We

dated throughout school, went to college together. Nobody thought we'd last, young love

and all that bullshit. But I'd never been surer about anything in my life, Bella. She was

the one for me. We started dating when we were fourteen. We'd been together twelve

whole years when she just…vanished, one day."

"Well," I began unsure. "Where did she go?"

He shrugged, looking very much like a man with the weight of the world on his

shoulders. "Nobody knows. She never came home to me one night. I called the cops

within hours of her not showing up, it wasn't like her. I had to wait forty-eight Goddamn

hours before they'd register her as a missing person. Three weeks went by and there was

still nothing, and gradually, people started loosing interest, presumed she was dead. They

found her car at the parking lot where she worked. Her purse was in it, no signs of a

struggle, no CCTV footage, nothing. It was like she just stepped off the face of the earth.

I haven't seen her for over five years."

"Five years?" I whispered, completely aghast. I couldn't even begin to imagine…the

uncertainty, wondering if the person you love is dead or alive – having no way of

actually…_knowing_. Christ, one day you could wake up, filled with hope that you might

finally hear something, and the next, you could be debating where the body might be

found – if there was a body. "Oh God James, I had no idea. I'm so…sorry."

He started to chew on his bottom lip, blinking rapidly to clear the unshed tears that,

knowing James, he would never let spill over. He bit out a laugh eventually, but there

was no humour in it. "You think I offer to 'babysit' you for no reason, Bella? You think

they trust me with you simply just _because_? I might not be top dog around here, but I

would fucking die a hundred deaths over before _ever _allowing anyone to snatch you away

from them. And they know that."

My eyes widened. "But I thought-"

He cut me off. "You _always think _they make me do it? Make me stay here and look after

you? Are you fucking kidding? Edward damn near busted my nuts the first time I

suggested they leave you in my care." He began to chuckle. "Seriously, he had pliers at

the ready and everything."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that sounded just like Edward. "But still, you shouldn't have to

stay with me when-"

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"I don't have to, Bella. I volunteered not long after we…found you. You know, your selfloathing

knows no bounds." He tutted.

"But you could be out there, doing other mob crap that you actually did sign up for, and

instead you're stuck at home with me all the time. That's not fair to you," I argued

timidly, suddenly feeling shy.

"I signed up because I needed help finding Vicky, Bella. The minute the authorities told

me there was nothing more they could do, I knew I couldn't accept that." He took a deep

breath. "I wasn't stupid. I'd lived in the city my whole life. I knew all about the organised

crime going on. People talk. It took me two months of research and digging to find the

right family to go to for help, and another month before I managed to get an _in _with Aro.

I could have just paid him to help me, but I couldn't just stand by and wait. I had to be the

one out there, searching. But I didn't have the resources. I was initiated and tested within

a few days of our first meeting. I actually completed my training within six months, faster

than anyone from the outside's ever managed before."

I snorted. "So that's why Edward gives you so much shit then? You nailed his ass with

the completion time?"

James barked out a laugh. "I'd never thought of that, actually. But no, I don't think that's

the real reason behind Edward's…colourful behaviour. Aro's always known me, Bella.

Known what I'm capable of. He's very good at sussing people out. I can go out there and

do what any of the others do, I've been trained to. And sometimes, yeah, I'll be assigned

to particular…tasks, and I go do my thing. I'm a mean shot, I don't miss. Aro knows that.

He also knew from the very beginning that I'd be more than willing to take a bullet to

protect any of the women in this family. I actually shadowed Sully a little, you know?

Whenever he got called out of town, I'd be assigned to their house to keep her safe.

You're a lot like her," he smiled.

I returned the smile, nodding. I heard that quite a bit, that I was like Sully. "So…what

about Vicky?" I asked hesitantly.

His face fell instantly, and I felt awful for asking, but I had to know. "We still haven't

found her. We've zapped our way through multiple leads over the years, but none of them

ever came to anything. Aro's kept to his word though. I know he's still looking. Believe it

or not, Edward stepped up the heat in the search as well, after we found you. And don't

give me that look," he chuckled as my eyebrows shot up into my hairline. "You will

never fully understand the positive effect you've had on Edward Cullen. He might be a

complete tool at times, but not long after you arrived on the scene, I think Edward often

looked at you and contemplated what it would be like if they lost you like that. I don't

think he…handled the thoughts well. You came along and suddenly Edward started

seeing things very differently, they all did. A lot of 'what ifs' started getting thrown

around, none of them welcome. It wasn't long before Edward approached me and offered

his help. Well, I think his actual words were, 'I think you're a dick but that shit ain't right.

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So I'll do what I can. Oh and you left the fucking milk out a-fucking-gain - night watch

for a week you sweaty ballsack. I can't have my coffee now.'"

I bit my lip to try and hold in my laughter, but my entire upper body started shaking as a

result. He'd imitated Edward perfectly.

"What _is _his problem with you?" I managed to get out eventually.

James smirked. "Bella, haven't you noticed? Edward hates _everyone_. Em and Jasper, they

put up with his ass – just, and usually only because they can team up against him. Aro,

well, Aro doesn't take his shit. And Laurie – Edward knows Laurie could flatten him." He

chuckled. "He and I are too evenly matched, but he knows I'm beneath him on the food

chain, and his arrogant ass just _loves _that." We both laughed, nodding. "He's a social

piranha. The fact of the matter is he just hates people. I've seen Emmett pulling him away

from newspaper bashing the elderly before. He doesn't have much in the way of a

conscience. There's a reason he's one of Aro's best, all he ever has to do is point in a

direction and unleash him. I wasn't even aware the guy had teeth before you came in and

started making his stupid ass smile all fondly at you. He's a lot like Si to be honest; he

just doesn't mask his emotions as well."

I felt my eyes light up at the mention of Si. I'd found a red apple in Aro's kitchen this

morning. I was a little sad I'd missed him; I hadn't seen him for an age. Si was great fun.

A lot of people were scared shitless of him, but I loved trying to make him laugh. For

some strange reason, he could never hold out against me. I managed to get him to smile

every time. He liked to draw patterns around the scars on my arms using his fingertips

whenever we were sat down together, and oddly, I never minded.

"Do you think you'll ever find her James?"

He cocked his head to the side. "No. I think we all know she's long dead. But I'd like to

believe I could get her body back, bury her properly. It's highly unlikely, but I guess I can

always hope for that. It's a funny thing though angel, what I was saying before. I spent

twelve years of my life with her. I don't think 'devastated' really covers how I felt back

then when I realised she was gone and not coming back. But I went on. Life…goes on.

Much as I will always love her, and I'll always remember and think back, at the end of

the day she's gone and the show, as they say, must go on. But those guys down there? If

anything ever happened to you," he shook his head. "God Bella, I can't even think about

it. They wouldn't cope. You're like their fucking air. They _need _you."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, not liking this part of our conversation. "Don't say

things like that, James."

"But I have to. Its part of what I was trying to say before. They _will _do anything to protect

you Bella, to keep you safe. And I mean anything. Hell, most of us would. When we get

drafted in, we're all sworn in to take bullets for you now. The thought of losing you is

their worst nightmare. And unfortunately, keeping you safe in our world, and with your

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history, well, it means bad things can happen to people if they don't watch themselves. A

lot of the time it's unsavoury, and brutal, and downright violent. They won't like that

you've seen that tonight and I'm guessing it was really hard for you to witness. In fact, I'm

really fucking proud of you for keeping it together princess."

I blanched. _Keeping it together_…

I needed freakin' locked up.

"I see your conflict," James said quietly, giving me a sad smile. "And it's completely

understandable. But please don't beat yourself up over it angel. What they did tonight,

that guy, he's responsible for the accident, Bella. He put you in hospital. You nearly

_died_." He gripped my chin lightly and made me look at him. "He got his comeuppance.

He doesn't get to live in a world where you exist, not after that. There are three guys

downstairs all worried sick that you'll never be able to look at them as anything but

monsters now, all because they did what they needed to do – they _needed _to protect you."

I felt utterly wiped out as the tears began to streak from my eyes and trail their way down

my cheeks. I was going to need to sleep right through the day at this rate to function on

any level without fitting. That thought was not comforting.

"Now I want you to listen to me baby girl, and listen good. You are perfectly entitled to

feel however you feel about what you saw. I can't even begin to imagine what shit it's

dragged up…" James trailed off as I sniffled, suppressing _those _thoughts deep, deep

down. "And you take all the time you need, okay? But I want you to know that we are _all_

here for you, we would _never _hurt you, and you can come get us whenever you need or

want. Alright?"

I wrapped my arms around James' neck and clung on tight. "I want my boys," I whispered

hoarsely.

He nodded, stoking my hair back. "I'll go get them hunny, but just promise me one

thing?"

"What?" I choked.

He pulled back and looked me right in the eyes, brushing stray hair from my face and

wiping away my tears. "Don't ever blame them for loving you so much."

**I hope everybody enjoyed the holidays!**

**No idea when I'll be updating, I'd love to guara ntee one for over the weekend but**

**with New Year's eve/day coming up, I don't know! Teaser **_**will **_**be up for Friday**

**though; it can be viewed on the blog - link at the top of my page or on my profile.**

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**Up next – Edward. We'll be filling in some gaps :)**

Chapter 13

**Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight – no copyright infringement intended.**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!**

**Massive thanks to all those who reviewed, making me do a happy dance with each**

**and every one. And of course, thumbs up to those who continue to read/add the**

**story to their favs/alerts. We've officially reached over the 12,000 hits mark, which**

**has just…blown me away! Brings a tear to the eye I tells ya!**

**A/N: I hope you're all prepared for some major potty mouth and crass boy-banter,**

**because I think in true Edward style there is something like nine million**

**'fuck/fucking/prick/twat/shit' etc, etc, said in this chapter.**

**This is part one of **_**two **_**Edward chapters. It would have ended up being **_**ridiculously**_

**long (probably close to 20,000 words) if I'd done everything fro m Edward's POV all**

**in the one chapter, like I'd originally planned. So I've spilt it instead. You get faster**

**updates - so no complaining, right? ;)**

**To avoid any confusion because I'm back peddling a little, Tuesday is the day where**

**Jane appeared (chp 11) and it was **_**very **_**early morning on Thursday when Bella**

**flipped out a little (chp 12).**

**I need to go cool off, hothead's been all intense and shit and I'm in a complete tizz…**

_Chapter Thirteen_

_Edward_

_Tuesday_

I glared at the clock on the dash, 5:09pm. We were fucking late - all thanks to Emmett.

Fucking oaf.

And he was _still _pissing about with my stereo. Honest to God, I was about to smack the

shit out of him. The CD's in the car were allegedly all 'wank'; the music on my iPod was

apparently all 'gay', and I'd been informed that having my radio tuned into the news

station was 'beyond fucking sad, Edward'. I wanted to kill him. I mean, there was me

thinking that having the news station programmed in was, oh I don't know, sensible,

given our line of work. You blo w up a few buildings and maim a whole load of people,

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and you kinda want to make sure nobody's on your tail about it, right? Not according to

Emmett 'I'm a Fucking Genius, Don't You Know' McCarty. Prick.

He'd been fiddling about with the radio tuner for the past four minutes and…twenty-nine

seconds, and if he kept going for much longer, I _would _break his fucking fingers. I was

sick of hearing static white noise jumbled with out of tune music. What was so Goddamn

hard about just picking a station? Oh that's right, he's retarded and we have to _keep_

making allowances for him…

A squealing, slightly muffled guitar solo suddenly burst forth from the speakers, making

me very nearly shit my fucking pants and swerve the car violently, as several cars honked

at me. Assholes.

"CHRIST EMMETT!"

"Jesus Edward, are you trying to kill us?" Jasper snapped, gripping onto the side of the

car as though his life depended on it.

I gaped at him in the rear view mirror. Was he seriously blaming me for that? He could

get to fuck!

"Yeah Edward, what the hell?" Emmett shouted. Actually. Fucking. Shouted.

I clenched my jaw and watched my knuckles turn ghost white as I gripped the steering

wheel so hard, I was surprised I didn't crush it.

"I mean, you fucking crap on like a complete tool about wanting to drive; when it's _quite_

_fucking clear _you're shit at it. But _I _would actually like see Bella again, if you don't mind,

so like, fucking balls up and at least attempt to drive like you know what you're fucking

doing, yeah?" Emmett bitched.

Jasper snorted, loudly. "That was real poetic Em, but I'll second it."

I think my eye twitched.

Emmett grinned and craned his neck backwards to where Jasper was sat in the back seat.

"Hell yeah!"

I'd like to pretend I didn't just see him fist pump the air like an eight year old…

"You're _such _a twat Em! Fuck off and drive your own stupid ass if you're gonna do

nothing but moan at me in my own Goddamn car! And that was _your _fault, you moron." I

growled. He could piss off insulting my driving abilities. I was the fucking bomb at

driving! But Emmett McCarty drives a Hummer, ergo – he's 'allowed' to drive in the

middle of the road, take up both lanes and cause several pile ups, and – in his own mind –

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still be classed as a 'fuck-awesome' driver, whilst the rest of us are all branded 'shite'. His

own words, I'll have you know.

I refused to let Bella in his car with him anymore. He was psychotic.

"Edward, you're the one who demanded you drive!" He argued. I'm sure he thought it was

a plausible argument.

"Yes," I began slowly. "That's because you're a fucking freak of death on the road, and

Jasper moans like a bitch the second there's a spot of dirt in his car and brings out his

fucked up Inspector Clouseau shit! I mean seriously Jaz; you need to speak to someone

about that crap. It ain't normal to ask people to remove their shoes before getting in a

damn car! That shit's just _messed up_."

"Screw you Edward!" He reached over and shoved the back of my head roughly. "I

wouldn't have to do it if you stopped _deliberately _stepping in as much mud as possible

before getting in!"

Yeah, I did do that. Was fucking funny watching him bring out his mini _Dirt Devil_

vacuum to hoover it all up – before he'd even consider starting the car.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied smoothly, trying to smother my smirk.

Emmett snorted. "Liar. And besides which, he doesn't ask everyone to take their shoes

off. Bella always keeps hers on."

"Bella could cake herself in mud and gyrate against him and he'd let it go, Bella doesn't

get a rule list with anyone. So null and void on that point asshole!"

Jasper cleared his throat. "I'm sat right here, by the way."

"Yeah Edward! Don't be so rude, you dick." Emmett scoffed. "And you're still a shit

driver. Look at the speed you're doing!"

I glanced down at the speedometer. I was only forty above the limit. That was slow…for

me. It's not like we ever got in trouble for traffic violations anyway. Emmett stopped

suddenly in the middle of the Highway once – he'd dropped a bag of pretzels, he was

upset about the waste – and caused a nine car pile up, the cops agreed the road had

simply been 'slippery'. The uh…wet conditions on a blistering hot, dry, July day can

really fuck you over, so y'know, watch out for that…

"What the hell's wrong with my speed?" I asked indignantly. "I'm going slow!"

Emmett glanced over at me, a patronising look on his stupid face. "Edward, you're doing

eighty in a forty limit for Christ sake. Try and make sure you don't hit any kids."

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I scowled. "Well I wouldn't have to speed if you'd learn to hurry the fuck up and stop

making us late!"

We pulled up to a set of traffic lights that were at red. Fucking great. Normally I'd just

punch it and go through them, but there were another three cars in front…annoying fucks,

making me wait.

"Don't you start with me!" Emmett growled. "It's not my fault those Goddamn mutts ran

half way across town."

I turned to raise my eyebrows at him. "That's why you put them on a leash, Em. It's really

not that difficult."

"I can't put them on a leash!" He retorted hotly. "Every time I do Jude wants to piss

against my legs and psycho bitch chews my ankles to shit. I mean, Christ! Look at the

state of my pants!"

I held back my laughter, just. Em was back to looking like Oliver Twist, I'd refused to

wait for him to change when he got back. Minnie, aka 'the shredder', had done a right

number on him this afternoon. I was really warming up to her.

Jasper began to chuckle in the back. "Maybe if you weren't such a dick to them, they'd be

more agreeable, Em."

"They need put the fuck down…psycho dogs…" Emmett grumbled under his breath.

"Can't believe Aro's making me do all this shit."

"Well if you hadn't been such a douche about them, you wouldn't have to." I loved

winding him up about the dogs, was too fucking funny. Em could pound his chest and be

all 'I am man!' as much as he wanted, but the fact of the matter was a tiny pug puppy

scared the shit out of him. And that was just pure comedy gold.

"She started it!" He fired back defensively. "Why am I the bad guy in all of this, she's

fucking mental and nobody sees it! Dog's got serious issues!"

Yeah, we did know. But the truth was Minnie really wasn't so bad, she was just

protective. And we could certainly appreciate that quality. She'd actually been warming a

little towards Em - she'd stopped crapping on his bed. That _was _progress. And she loved

me, so really, it was no skin off my nose.

He started fiddling with the fucking radio again and I snapped. "Will you fucking quit

that? It's annoying as fuck and it makes me want to stab you."

He smirked at me. Prick. "If you had some decent music in here, I wouldn't have to do

this." He started twisting the tuning button really quickly, zapping through white noise

and several stations rapidly. I reached out and smacked him in his stupid face.

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"Fuck Edward!" He reeled back, clasping a hand over his eye. I hoped it swelled. Twat.

"What the fuck was that for?" He aimed a return punch to my side, but I was too quick

for him. I elbowed his hand out of the way roughly and then sent it slamming into his

side.

"I told you to fucking quit it, you suddenly become fucking deaf? Touch it again and I'm

gonna fucking throw your ass out, run you over and then reverse!" I turned to give him a

'look'. "And put my CD's back into order, you've fucked them all up! They go A to Z, you

know, like the _alphabet_."

Jasper started cracking up in the back; I think I caught the words 'patronising wanker'

somewhere between his fit. I let that one slide, it's not like I could argue the evaluation.

"You're such a tool. You've got the nerve to criticise Jaz for being all fucking OCD when

you've got this weird thing about your crap being in order. Fucking hypocrite." Emmett

prattled off.

I rolled my eyes. "That's because Jasper's a freak. Being orderly makes _sense_."

"Again, I'm right fucking here!" Jaz bit out.

I rolled my eyes. "What-the-fuck-_ever_!"

Emmett started grabbing at my CD's and slamming them back into the holder in the glove

box. He was being too rough and he was still doing it wrong.

"A to Z Emmett!" I slapped at his hands. "It's really not that difficult, you fucking

simpleton!"

He slapped back. "I know. But it's fucking funny winding your superior ass up. Christ,

next you'll be demanding that Jaz's OCD should actually be CDO, because it's 'orderly'."

He shoved another case back into position and I heard the crack as the plastic split.

This time, I _knew _my eye twitched.

"Did you just break that case?" I bellowed, rounding on him and snatching for the CD.

Emmett's eyes were practically fucking doing the tango; he looked far too pleased with

himself. "Oops!"

I brought the case towards me and saw the huge crack in it. That just…wasn't on.

I narrowed my eyes at him; stupid fuck looked like the damn cat that got the cream. I

didn't think twice before bringing the case forwards and smashing it over his head,

repeatedly.

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"Ow, fuck Edward!" He laughed, trying in vain to bring his arms up to protect his head

from the battering onslaught. "It's just a CD, you fucking girl!"

I huffed, throwing the now unrecognisable case at him. "Now the order's all messed up!

Look what you've done, there's a fucking gap now!"

Jasper was rolling around on the back seat, clutching at his sides, cackling like a witch.

Emmett's cheeks were puffed out as he tried to hold back his explosive laughter. I wasn't

amused. There was a gap.

"Here," Emmett was biting his lip, his shoulders shuddering from silent laughter. He

kicked my glove box, slamming it shut. Fucking _kicked _my glove box! Can you believe

that shit? "Now you can't see the gap."

Jasper started hyperventilating in the back. "Fuck! No more, please!"

I gaped at Emmett…stunned. "Did you just kick my motherfucking glove box? Seriously

Em? _Kicking my car_?" _What the hell_?

"Oh lighten the fuck up! No damage done. Jesus Edward, you're gonna give yourself a

coronary if you don't learn to chill the fuck out!"

"You just kicked my fucking car!" I yelled.

I was literally about to rip the twerp a new one when a loud honking rang out, startling us

all. I glanced up to my rear view mirror and noticed some dipshit in a Volvo Estate

glaring at me. I fucking hated Volvo drivers. Twats, the lot of them.

Emmett began to snicker. "Lights are on green dude, pay more attention!"

They were indeed on green. And the cars in front of me weren't even within sight

anymore.

I thumped his arm. "Don't even fucking start Emmett; I'm not in the mood." He was

gonna get his ass handed to him for damaging my car.

I was about to shift into gear when Volvo prick pressed down on his car horn again, but

this time, he didn't let up. It just continued to blare.

"Does he have a death wish?" Jasper started to mutter.

"Let it go, Edward. We're late enough as it is." Emmett chimed in, noticing my rigid

form.

228

The noise stopped briefly, only to start up again within seconds. Impatient cock had

picked the wrong fucker to annoy. He actually started revving at me, inching his shit blue

'car' dangerously close to my back bumper.

I licked my lips, contemplating. I hadn't taken my eyes off him in the mirror. I could feel

myself getting really fucking pissed off. My CD's had a gap in them and now this fucker

was trying to intimidate me. ME! Edward fucking Cullen. But we _were _late. We'd

promised Bella we'd be at Aro's for half four every day, and it was now eighteen minutes

past five. I wanted to make it over there before we were officially an hour late.

With that in mind, I grudgingly moved to shift into first, attempting to swallow my anger.

I'd just have to really thrash Emmett later.

I was just releasing my foot from the clutch and biting down on the gas when asswipe

Volvo owner started shaking his hands at us, moving his lips frantically. He was

shouting.

My eyes fogged over with what can only be described as rage…and I snapped.

_Pushing my fucking buttons_…

I released the gas pedal, slammed on the clutch and threw the gearstick into

reverse…flooring it.

"JESUS EDWARD!" Jasper yelled as the car smashed its way into the shitty Volvo

behind.

"Here we go…" Emmett grumbled, shaking his head.

I kept my foot pressed completely down on the gas even after his front bonnet had

crumpled. When I saw his airbag puff out and slam into his stupid, fat face I tore the

handbrake on and booted open my door. I shrugged quickly out of my jacket, throwing it

onto my seat and marched straight for the dick.

"Edward hurry it the fuck up, yeah? We're late!" Emmett called after me.

I reached his drivers side door and threw my elbow into the window, ignoring the bite of

pain that travelled through my skin and along my bones. The glass shattered instantly and

I reached for the turd, yanking half his body through the gaping hole.

"Problem?" I snarled, bringing my face right up to his. His hands clutched onto my

forearms as I suspended the tub of lard's upper body above the ground. He had the good

sense to look scared. Well, more terrified than scared, but whatever. He began to

whimper. Fucking pussy. I hated weak men.

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"You've damaged my car. That wasn't very nice," I hissed, spitting all over his pudgy

face.

His eyes widened. "You…you…but-" He stuttered. "You hit me!"

"Let's not get hung up on details here," I tightened my hold on his shirt, making him

choke. "I _like _my car. I'm very upset with you."

"But you…you…you reversed into _me_!" He argued with a strangled voice.

Stupid fuck.

"Are we having a communication problem? Do I need to beat your ass into mulch until

you recognise you've hurt _my _car?" Inconsiderate prick. I pulled my gun from the

waistband of my suit pants using my free hand. "Do you know what happens to people

who throw rocks at glass houses?" I placed my gun to his lips, twisting and nudging it

into his mouth. "The people who live inside get really fucking pissed." I clicked the

safety off.

He began shaking; tears started leaking from his eyes. Fucking wimp. I hadn't even hit

him yet!

"Give me your wallet," I demanded harshly.

He awkwardly released a trembling hand from my arm and shakily reached back through

the window to his back pocket. He eventually handed me a tattered brown wallet just as

the sobs really began to break out. I rolled my eyes. What a pussy.

I cringed as I snatched it from him, not liking the fact that I was touching this piece of

piss material. Opening it, I found his drivers licence right away.

"Earl Marsden of forty-six Mayborn Lane?" I raised my eyebrows at him in question.

He gulped…but managed to nod.

Earl. What a shit name. Fucking fitting for the fat bastard. Shit car, shit name, shit

address. There was nothing about this knob that wasn't just _shit_.

I threw the wallet back through the used to be window, not caring where the fuck it

landed. "Right Earl, my lawyer will be in contact regarding payment for the damage

you've caused." I yanked him out of the car even further. "You should really watch

yourself in future; you never know who you're beeping at." I whispered dangerously

before pulling my gun back and letting him go.

His chubby ass nearly fell completely out of the car, his hands just stretching out in time

to catch himself of the road. I appraised my gun, noticing there was slobber all over it.

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Fucking eww. It could rival Judes. I wiped the barrel all over 'Earl's' back, trying to clean

it as best I could, before flipping the safety back on.

"You have yourself a good day Earl, you fucking prick." I deliberately stepped on both of

his hands as I made my way back to my car. I could hear music blaring from my

speakers, indicating Emmett had done the sensible thing and opted to stop dicking about

with me, recognising my mood, and instead settled on a playlist.

I climbed in, throwing my gun at Em and muttering about needing to get it fucking

sterilised now. I glanced in the mirror to see that the fat fuck was struggling to wiggle his

lard ass back in through the window. Idiot.

I turned on the ignition, which I'm guessing Em had switched off, and threw the stick into

first.

"Wonder if he's shit himself…" Jasper mused out loud over the blaring music. "His type

usually do."

Emmett snorted. "You're a scary motherfucker sometimes, E, you know that? I'd pay

good money to see you do a sit in with a shrink for five minutes."

I ignored him. It wasn't me with the problem. It was every other fucker out there pissing

me off. I pressed my foot to the gas, finding my biting point and sped away, ripping into

second within seconds and jolting Em and Jaz forwards.

I didn't want to show up at Aro's all fucked off, so I focussed on the music and tried to

quell my anger. Bella was too perceptive, she'd know something was off if I didn't get it

the fuck together. Thoughts of Bella alone seemed to calm me, or more specifically,

thoughts of Bella wrapped around me as I drank her in…calmed me.

Christ, I needed to get laid, work off some steam.

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the drive ahead of me. Thoughts like that

wouldn't get me anywhere right now, except wound up for a whole different set of

reasons.

…_So he stuck his middle finger_

_To the world_

_To the world_

_To the world_

_And you take your time_

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_And you stand in line_

_Well you'll get what's yours_

_I got mine_

_Because when I arrive_

_I, I bring the fire_

_Make you come alive_

_I can take you higher_…

I pulled up to Fort Fucking Knox ten minutes later and pressed the intercom button.

"Name?"

I bit my lip, trying not to get angry. We employed these guys for good reasons, but they

just irritated the shit out of me. I hated having to explain myself, especially to these

lowlife fucks.

"Edward."

"Sorry sir, please state you full name."

I growled, tightening my hold on the steering wheel.

"Cullen."

Jaz and Em began to snigger.

"Please state your _full _name sir."

If I could have reached through that fucking intercom and battered the shit out of him, I

would have done.

"Edward Cullen!" I snapped. It was just _not _my day today.

"Apologies sir, just following protocol." He attempted to explain as the gates opened

widely before us.

"Yeah well, I fucked your mother. She's a loose bitch!" I stomped my foot onto the gas

and flew through the gates and up the driveway. Emmett and Jasper were busy pissing

their panties.

232

"Seriously Edward, if there was an award for 'biggest asshole in the world', it would be

all yours buddy!" Emmett breathed out in between chuckles.

I didn't see what was so fucking funny. That shit genuinely pissed me the hell off. We'd

gone through more gate guards at our house in the last four years than the rest of the

family had in twenty. And it was a fucking big ass family. I had less patience than usual

when it came to dealing with them. I just couldn't help killing them most of the time. And

the really messed up part was, we set that protocol. If they didn't ask those questions, and

then let in the wrong person, they were dead men walking. In fact, if that little prick

hadn't just tweezed the correct information out of me, I'd have killed him for his sheer

stupidity. But I wanted to kill him anyways for being annoying and doing his job

correctly. Perhaps that's why offers to take up gate duty at our house didn't exactly _pour_

in…

I tore around the turns leading up the driveway and screeched to a stop, sending gravel

spitting all around the car. I'd have to remember to send a full body paint job bill to Earl

the Asshole. Hell, I'd probably just buy a new Goddamn car and have him cover the cost.

It was damaged now anyways. If you're going to be a bastard, may as well do it

thoroughly, right?

Jasper was out of the car and flying up the steps within seconds, and Emmett threw me

my gun before he too, sped from the car and into the 'house'. I gripped the butt of it

between my thumb and pointer finger, holding it far away from my body, and climbed

out to follow them.

I lit a cigarette quickly, drawing the smoke in deeply and holding it in my lungs, relishing

the burn. _Give up smoking _– snort. As if I could. I'd just end up being more of a prick

without a nicotine release. It really wasn't a viable option in the grand scheme of things.

I strode through the front door, kicking it shut with my foot behind me, and puffed out a

load of smoke. Aro was directly in front of me, talking to Emmett and Jasper, but stopped

to glare at me when he realised I was smoking.

"Edward, obnoxious as ever I see?"

I grinned arrogantly, my cigarette hanging from my lips. "You got a spare?" I held up my

gun. "Some fat fuck drooled all over mine and I'm scared I'll catch something if I have to

keep touching this one."

Aro rolled his eyes. "I don't even want to know. And yes, there's plenty in the store. You

know the combination."

"Where's Bella?" Jasper asked excitedly.

233

Aro smiled warmly, looking lost in his memories all of a sudden. "Out on her terrace, fast

asleep the last I checked. You know," he sighed wistfully. "I don't want to give her back.

Can't I keep her a little longer?"

"No." All three of us said in unison. The last two days had been torture enough, and we

still had another three to go. Fuck giving him _more _time, she needed to come home.

He smirked, shaking his head. "Worth a try. Why are you so late?"

Emmett sighed. "Edward's road rage paid another visit."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't have road rage.

Aro frowned at me. "I hope you haven't left behind too much mess, Edward. I may have

the police in my back pocket, but after that last stunt you pulled…" He raised his

eyebrows at me.

"Wasn't that bad…" I began to grumble.

Jasper gawked at me, looking suddenly very hawk- like with the weird shit his eyes were

doing. "_Wasn't that bad_? Edward, you started a shooting match with some Russian tails

in the _middle _of the highway, during _rush hour_, like it was some paintball match between

friendly rivals."

Fucking hell! Were we seriously back to this again? _Always having to explain myself_…

"The stupid bastards shouldn't have been up my ass! They pissed me off!"

"You caused a twenty-eight car pile up!" Jasper 'reminded' me irately.

I shrugged. "Bella wanted ice-cream, dickwads shouldn't have been following me."

"Twenty-three people died!"

I waved him off. "Casualties of war."

"You caused mass hysteria! You bazooka'd four cars! People thought the Taliban had

invaded!"

I snorted. "Well they were idiots. And it's not like I really had time to waste worrying

about that shit, Bella's ice-cream was melting." She'd wanted honeycomb. She let me

spoon feed her it when I got back, naked. I made sure I missed her mouth, a lot. It was a

good day.

Jasper threw his arms up and began muttering something about 'give the fuck up', whilst

Emmett stood nodding his head in a 'same shit, different day' manner.

234

Aro cleared his throat and leaned casually against a side table, folding his arms across his

chest. "Well I haven't had the FBI up my ass so I can only presume today's festivities

went smoother than last time?"

"Someone honked at him whilst we were at a stoplight," Emmett offered by way of

explanation.

"Ahhh," Aro nodded his head in understanding.

See! He gets it!

I scowled. "If we're done with the twenty questions, I'd like to go see the only person _in_

_the world _who doesn't piss me off."

I wanted our Bella. She'd make me feel better. Not like these chumps, dragging up all this

petty, uninteresting shit like it _mattered_.

_Honest to God_!

Emmett quirked an eyebrow at me funnily. "Now sugarplum that just ain't true. You

know you love this hunking slab of man beast."

I blinked at him. "Thank yo u Emmett, for that. I think I need to vomit."

He smirked. "Anytime my man, anytime."

"Jesus, I actually employ you people…" Aro began to murmur. "If we're quite finished

with the inane chatter, I thought I'd let you know that Si thinks he's found Black."

I cocked my head to the side. "Oh?"

Japer and Emmett were suddenly looking very interested and no longer dancing to get

away.

Aro nodded. "I'm waiting for confirmation but if all goes to plan, we move tomorrow. Be

ready. Laurie's on his way over."

"Where was the little weasel hiding?" Emmett piped up, his face darkening.

Aro sighed. "The Russians have been moving him every day. For some reason they want

him alive. I can't imagine why, he's of no use to them anymore. He'll never get back onto

the property, and being up at the garages was his only way of garnering any information

and feeding back to them. If it were me, I'd have shot him the moment he was no longer

of use. He's nothing but a liability to them, more so now that they know we're after him."

235

"Give them credit where credit's due though," Jasper huffed. "They're at least consistently

stupid."

Aro smirked. "That they are. They've been keeping him holed up in several of their

storage facilities, which confuses me. They're either so completely dim- witted that they

believe we don't have the resources to track them on their own turf, or they're counting on

us finding him. If they do want us to find him, they're either hoping that when we make

our move, they can plan some silly counter attack by using him as bait, or they're wanting

rid of him and giving us the opportunity to nab him."

I thought about that. "It…doesn't seem likely. Surely they can't want us to get a hold of

him; we'd get too much out of him. And even if they've fed him false information, he'd

sing like a birdie about the details leading up to the attack. We've still got a rat, don't

forget. They won't want their inside source being revealed, and we know that Jacob was

going through the second to make things happen."

Aro shrugged. "It matters not; we're not going to kill him."

"What?" Jasper, Emmett and I all said at the same time.

Aro suddenly looked very evil…and happy. Fucker had been plotting. "We're not going

to kill him. We're going to plant him right back in their care, after we've…talked to him a

little."

Emmett wasn't looking pleased. In fact, if you thought my spat with Volvo Asshole

looked bad, I don't think it was anything compared to how Emmett was currently holding

up. Furious didn't quite cut it.

See, I might be the impulsive dick around here, but I could recognise that Aro was up to

something and trust his judgement. I would at least hear him out. Jasper, well – he was

always the level-headed one. He was open to hearing every option before making a

decision. Emmett however, wouldn' t want to hear it. Not when it came to Bella. She got

hurt, therefore everyone responsible needed to die. No questions asked. They all had to

go. As much as I liked that logic, and agreed wholeheartedly with it, Aro had formulated

something, and I was…intrigued.

"Emmett," Aro held up his hands. "Hear me out. We're gonna make the little runt talk.

But given everything that has happened, I want some of our own ears within their walls.

We can't place one of our own in there because they're not dense enough to be hiring

right now. They won't be taking anyone new on for the next couple of months, not when

they know we want blood for what happened to Bella. They'll suspect an attempt to put

our own rat in there, and they won't risk that."

"So what?" Emmett growled. "You're gonna trust that fucking traitor to do the job? Have

you forgotten that he's _theirs_? Bella nearly DIED because of him!"

236

Aro nodded in a placating manner. "I know Emmett, I know. We're still going to kill him,

but only _after _he's done a little work for us. And we still need to find out if he was ours

and turned, or if he's been in bed with them right from the start."

"I can't believe this shit" Em seethed. "He's the reason she is out there nursing a shot

wound and broken ribs! Do you not remember hearing her fucking SCREAMING?

'Cause I do! I'll never fucking forget it!"

"None of us will ever forget it, Em." Jasper whispered, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

"Good, then he dies!" Emmett concluded.

"No," Aro said firmly. "He doesn't. We have to consider the possibility that Jacob

genuinely has been fed false information, Emmett. We also have to consider that he

might not know the rat. It's very likely he's been given a codename and a cell number –

that's it. He'll have been instructed to call the number whenever he's got something new.

We _need _to find out who the rat is; otherwise we're chasing our tails for who knows how

long. We can find out if we've got him listening in for us."

"Like he's going to do that!" Emmett fired back.

I smirked. Oh I bet he would, and I wouldn't mind betting Aro had found a way to

be…persuasive. "Who'd you manage to get?"

Aro chuckled, looking over to wink at me. "You'll make a good replacement head one

day, Edward. As for the sway, Seth may have…stumbled upon his two sisters. Mighty

coincidence, you understand..."

I began to snicker. Sly old man. I bet he'd had them for a week, at least. "Are they close?"

"One of them seems to be incredibly fond of her brother, the other…let's just say she's a

little hot-headed. I think the phrase she used was 'what's the stupid mutt done _now_?' Sam's

set them up in one of our inner-city houses; Paul's keeping a close watch."

"No other collateral?" Jasper asked, unsure.

Aro shook his head. "None needed, I've seen them both. Nice women, actually…shame

they have to die because of their brothers foolishness. He won't want anything to happen

to them. Both parents are dead; he's not married and has no children. The sister's are the

only family he has. It's just a matter of planting the seed, so to speak."

Emmett glowered. "Is there anyone I _can _kill tomorrow?"

"Probably. Someone's been put in charge of moving him, so he won't be alone. We can't

leave any witnesses."

237

Emmett looked as though he was about to give a really fucking snarky response, but was

cut off by a loud noise. We all turned at the same time, quirking eyebrows and listening

intently for any other disturbances.

Nothing…

"Where did you say Bella was again?" Jasper asked.

Aro looked…puzzled. "South terrace."

The direction the noise had come from.

Em and Jasper turned to give me a quizzical look. Not that I had any idea.

"Anyone else in the house?" I prompted.

"Maria's in the kitchen preparing dinner."

I flickered my eyes back to Emmett and Jasper and gave a brief nod. And that was all

they needed. They bolted, reaching for their guns. If it was one thing we'd learnt recently,

it was to air on the side of motherfucking caution. We didn't crap about where Bella was

involved. We took _no _chances.

Aro and I weren't far behind them as we all swerved our way through the corridor,

twisted around the door to the sitting room at the back of the house and darted through

the open French doors that led out onto the patio.

The sun was bright, beating down on the terracotta tiles and momentarily fucking with

my vision until it adjusted. That however, was the least of my fucking problems. The

scene to my right nearly stopped my heart - something that seemed to be happening a lot

lately.

I didn't even think about it. I gripped my gun and aimed, ignoring Aro's commands to 'not

shoot.'

Jane.

Fucking troll.

Fucking Jane the Goddamn troll. Stood over OUR Bella.

_Fuck_. _No_.

I shoved past Emmett and Jasper, who seemed to be suddenly made of fucking stone, and

clicked off the safety. "You get the fuck away from her, now."

238

There was our beauty, looking perfect, and content, and at complete fucking peace in her

slumber, all snuggled into the pillows on the daybed, her cashmere blanket from our

house wrapped around her legs, a book laying open at the page she must have fallen

asleep reading…it was still in her tiny hands. And the sight would normally have

completely melted each one of us, making us fall even more in love with her than we

already were – if that was even possible. Only this picture – _this _before us, was not

fucking right.

For the wicked witch was stood over Dorothy – _our _Dorothy. Her fucking snout had been

bent towards Bella, literally only inches from her angelic face. It was so messed up.

So…wrong. It was like viewing the most stunning house you'd ever seen before in your

life, and being amazed and dazzled by its perfection. Only to then realize there was

crawling ivy attacking the outside walls, trying to seep its way inside any cracks it could

find. And I was not going to allow that to happen. Over my dead fucking body.

It wasn't until I'd moved a little closer, and Jane had stood up slowly after hearing my

voice, that I realised why Emmett and Jasper were still playing human statues.

Jane was clutching a large pillow.

A fucking _pillow_.

I felt the breath leave my body, as realisation dawned. If we hadn't heard that noise…

_No_, _don't even fucking go there_!

Something inside of me, something fierce, and fucking _primal_…erupted. Months of

training, years of experience, hundreds dead by my own hands – it all flooded back. It

was like reading a manual or some shit. It was instructing me. Telling me what to do.

Urging me on with whispers of past knowledge. It was signing to me…'you know what to

do, Edward…'

And fucking right I knew what to do.

Save Bella. Protect Bella. Always do right by Bella. Ward off threats to Bella. Kill Jane.

Kill her now.

The car accident. Bella's screams. Her lifeless body. The waiting. The not knowing. The

shock at seeing her in that hospital bed…like that.

And me. God, what an asshole. Always had been, always would be. Cared for no one,

gave a shit about nothing. Except Bella. Bella…changed me. Bella loved me, faults

included. And I loved her, more than anything.

Protect Bella. Protect our love. Protect Jasper and Emmett and Aro. Protect their love for

Bella. Bella loves them too. Protect Bella's love for everybody.

239

I started walking, no…stalking, towards the threat. I saw only two things. I saw my

innocent girl fast asleep and clueless, and I saw _her_. _Her _– the threat. Trying to take away

what was _good _in our lives. God, I _hated _her.

She had the decency to look petrified. Good. That was good, very good. Scare the shit out

of her – make her pay!

She started backing away from me, but there was nowhere for her to go, she just walked

into the daybed. Not a problem.

I reached her…and snatched the pillow away. She wanted to play fucking games? Fine

by me.

I gripped her arm and wrenched her away from Bella, violently. I just hoped I dislocated

something. I threw the pillow up, smothering her stupid face and pulled it tight against

her by wrapping my own arm around her scrawny neck and pressing the pillow inwards. I

hoped she choked too.

She started screaming, thankfully the sound was muted and Bella didn't stir. I turned back

around and started marching towards the French doors, not wanting her poison anywhere

_near _our Bella. I was entirely too pleased with the way her feet attempted to keep

up…and couldn't. I took great enjoyment from dragging her scabby feet across the floor.

"Alive, Edward." Aro commanded quietly.

I nearly fucking turned and pulled my Goddamn gun on him after those two words. She'd

done enough! How many times did we have to keep letting this little bitch harm Bella,

before he said enough was finally fucking enough? I didn't get it, truly - I didn't. She was

rotten to the core. I wasn't generally down with the whole 'hurting women' thing. The

only women I'd ever harmed – killed – had been like us, in the business. Rivals. It was

kill or be killed. It was simple math. But _this_? This evil viper – she needed put the fuck

down. And I would quite fucking happily do it.

I shoved her through the doors and slammed my palm into her back, sending her vile ass

hurtling towards the sofa – and over it. It felt good to finally do it. To be able to finally do

_something _other than scream and bawl at her. It was about time someone injected the fear

of God into her. She needed it. She deserved it. No, she actually deserved to die. But

apparently, that wasn't on the menu to-fucking-day.

_Pity_.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" She scrambled up -

screaming, her hair all over the place and looking very much like a hissing snake ready to

strike.

_Bring it Blondie_…

240

I threw the pillow at her forcefully. It smacked her right in the damn face. "EXPLAIN!"

She batted the pillow away from her. "EXPLAIN WHAT? YOU COULD HAVE

FUCKING SMOTHERED ME!" She began yanking on her hair; her eyes were wide and

viscous.

But I wasn't Bella. She didn't fucking have any hold over me. She looked ridiculous.

Silly, small and ridiculous. Weak. She wanted to do that shit, then she'd have to play with

the big boys. And in our world, that didn't mean good things for her.

"I know," I smiled at her darkly. "I should have held on longer."

She started shaking. Like, her head looked like it was gonna fire off her fucking body.

"ARGH!" She screamed suddenly, stamping her feet.

Laurie walked in then, looking confused. That was, until he saw Jane. And his eyes

turned cold. "Where's Bella?"

I cocked my head. "Why don't you tell him, Jane? Tell him where Bella is."

"FUCK YOU!" She shrieked. "YOU COULD HAVE FUCKING KILLED ME!"

Laurie's head snapped towards me and his eyebrows shot up. "You mean you had the

chance…and _didn't_?"

I pondered that, rather dramatically. "More like…wasn't allowed too."

He snorted.

Jane looked like she wanted to lunge for me. She probably would have, if Aro hadn't

walked in through the doors at that precise moment. His expression scared the shit out of

me. He wasn't even 'mob boss angry'; he was 'father whose daughter was just threatened

angry'. It was fucking chilling.

"Let me make one thing quite clear, Jane." He began walking towards her. "I loved your

mother more than anything on this earth. It is the love that I still hold for her that is

keeping you alive right now."

Her eyes widened. "You're taking his side? _His_?" She spat. "Did you not just see what

that dick did to me? I'm your daughter, for Christ sake!"

"No," he bit out coldly. "That girl out there is my daughter, Jane. You threw away my

loyalty to you years ago. You didn't want it."

"That _girl_," she sneered, "is nothing. NOTHING! And you all act like she bolts lighting

from her ass! It's pathetic!"

241

"You better watch your fucking mouth!" I glowered. Fucking bitch. I still had my gun in

my hand and she was saying shit like that? Moron.

"Or what? What the fuck are you going to do, _Edward_? You're all fucked up, do you

know that? What kind of _man _wants to be with a whore like her? Or do you all get off on

the idea of her spreading her legs for three different guys? Jesus, is she giving is to _Daddy_

as well?" She mocked sweetly.

I barely registered Aro shouting at Laurie to go and get help before I leapt. Laurie bolted

for the doors just as my body slammed into Aro's.

"YOU'RE LUCKY I DON'T RIP YOUR FUCKING THROAT OUT!"

I vaguely heard Laurie bellow for help before Aro threw an elbow into me and shoved,

hard. "Edward, back off!"

Jane began cackling, actually fucking _cackling_. She was holding her stomach and

everything. "She really does have you all wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?

I'll have to ask her what her secret is. Or is she just really good at sucking _cock_?"

Did she just say that to me? Did she seriously just say that about Bella?

"Jane you're in enough trouble as it is!" Aro snapped angrily. "I'd suggest you heed the

warning and shut up!"

That wasn't enough for me. She wouldn't listen. She was ivy. You had to chop her down

completely before she would disappear for good. "YOU GO WITHIN BREATHING

DISTANCE OF HER AGAIN AND I'LL SEW THAT SMART FUCKING MOUTH OF

YOURS SHUT!"

There was a brief pause in the screaming as my shoulders continued to rise and fall

rapidly with my angry breaths, and Jane looked to Aro. It was almost as if she couldn't

comprehend why he wasn't defending her.

That thought alone made me chuckle darkly. "You're actually waiting, aren't you? You're

waiting for him to jump on in and save you? Newsflash Jane, nobody will. Nobody likes

you. We can't _stand _you. There isn't a person in this whole world that loves or cares about

you. That's why you hate Bella, isn't it? Because for all the shit she has put up with, she

bounced back and found love – a fuck load of it. And you can't stand it, can you? You're

such a twisted bitch! Do you even realise that there are four men here, right now, that

wouldn't think twice about putting a bullet in your head? What does it feel like to know

that the man who fucking _raised you_, only keeps you alive because he loved your

mother?"

That…hit a sore spot.

242

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND THERE AND DO NOTHING WHILST THIS

ANIMAL THREATENS ME?"

Aro's cutting glare went straight to her. "I didn't hear a threat, Jane. I only heard the

truth."

She reeled back; looking as though he'd just fucking slapped her across her revolting

face. She didn't even bother attempting to compose herself. "_Bella_," she hissed. "Always

fucking Bella, isn't it?"

I exploded. I couldn't just stand there and listen to her say baby girl's name. Not coming

from those lips. It disgusted me. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DON'T GET TO SAY

HER NAME!"

"Edward, dial it down! You'll wake Bella up!" Aro barked.

"Bella, Bella, Bella! Always fucking Bella!" Jane screeched. "Only her! You don't give a

shit about anyone else, do you?"

I was sick of looking at her. She made me feel violently fucking ill. I wanted her gone. I

played my ace. "OH THAT'S MOTHERFUCKING RICH, COMING FROM THE GIRL

WHO MURDERED HER OWN MOTHER!"

It happened then – the snap. She came for me, arms out and clawing, eyes fierce and full

of intent. I fucking welcomed it. I'd love to get my hands on her again…love to have a

little _accident_.

I heard Laurie shout in the background, but couldn't make it out clearly. I was too

focussed on the batshit crazy in front of me, currently being restrained by Aro. I wanted

him to let her go. And he probably knew that.

Laurie and Emmett whisked passed me, heading straight for them. Laurie took a hold of

Jane easily, like she weighed no more than a feather. He lifted her and ignored the

psychotic fit she seemed to be having.

"She's on lockdown. Get her out of my sight." Aro waved them away, turning his back on

her as though her mere presence offended him.

Laurie hauled her ass out; Emmett went with him to make sure he got her loaded up. Jane

wouldn't be coming out for a long ass time. I think that's where half her crazy came from

you know. The half that was already there, it made her do stupid shit. Said stupid shit put

her on fucking lockdown – frequently. Jane would be holed up in her apartment, with a

heavy guard keeping a watch on her at _all _times, not allowing her out. She couldn't really

wipe her own ass without Aro's say so. That's where the other crazy half came in. No

doubt sourced from staring at the same four walls so damn often. Wasn't punishment

243

enough, if you asked me. Or maybe it was perfect – she'd hopefully destroy herself whilst

all alone in the world.

Neither Aro nor I spoke. Emmett came back through the room minutes later, but walked

straight for the doors, no doubt just wanting to be with Bella. Sounded real fucking good

right now. I wanted our girl.

I closed my eyes, rubbing over them roughly, and shook my head. "She has go, Aro."

His response was simple. There was no emotion in it. "No."

"Why won't you just give the damn order already? Christ Almighty! She's poison! Do

you not _understand _what she could have done to Bella today?"

He glanced at me, a flash of anger in his eyes. But it wasn't directed at me. No. That shit

was reserved all for Jane - for what she'd done to Bella. "Regardless. The answer is still

no, Edward."

"Why?" I pinched the bridge of my nose, the frustration of the day simply becoming too

fucking much.

"She's the only part of Sully I have left Edward. I won't do that."

I jerked my head up to see him looking…broken, torn…like a man who had just lost too

fucking much for one lifetime. I didn't like it. I felt kind of shitty for him, but Bella…

Christ! She came first. Always and forever.

"Then more fool you," I whispered as I walked passed him to join Emmett and Jasper

outside.

I needed to feel Bella…needed to _be _with Bella.

Always and forever.

_Thursday Morning_

It was like the after effects of a fucking bomb. Nobody could speak. There was

this…warped silence that had overcome us, and we were all sat in shock, not knowing

what to do or say. The atmosphere was tense, and heavy. My ears were fuzzy but had this

really irritating ring to them. Like an alarm clock going off at me continually, mockingly

blaring out the same old line: _time's up_, _now she knows_.

I couldn't get my hands to stop shaking. Hell, I couldn't even think clearly enough to send

a signal to my hands to demand that they stay fucking _still_. I just sat there, taking small,

sharp breaths, staring at nothing in particular.

244

I, Edward Cullen, was fucking scared.

She _saw _us.

We had tried so pissing hard to shield her, keep her fucking safe. And the one thing we'd

never really bargained for was that we needed to guard her from _us_. I didn't even want to

imagine what she was…thinking.

I'd lost all semblance of how much time had passed. I was just…frozen. I felt fucking ill.

My stomach was doing somersaults, gnawing away at me bit by bit and leaving nothing

but motherfucking dread coursing through my veins. I fucking hated this feeling. Once

again I was being thrust further and further away from the black and white, I was being

thrown into the Goddamn grey.

"James?" Aro whispered roughly. I didn't even bother looking up. "Go and see Bella."

That did it.

"What?" I snapped my gaze straight to Aro.

Aro ignored me. "Go." He motioned to James as he began to rub his hands over his face

roughly. "Oh and James?" He called out. "If she asks, then tell her he was responsible for

the accident. I don't want her knowing anything about Black."

Had he lost his fucking mind?

"You're sending _him_?" I asked scathingly, glaring at James' retreating form. And what do

you know, there was suddenly a bull's-eye on that fuckers back, and I wanted a shot.

"Edward, I'm not in the mood for anymore of your shit tonight!" He barked suddenly,

making Jasper wince. If I was a lesser man, and not the shithead that I actually was, I

would have cowered from Aro's glower. But as it was…

"Why _him_?" I demanded, completely disregarding the warning signals being thrown my

way from Aro's body language.

"In case it has escaped your rapidly fleeting attention, James was standing by on this one.

If anybody can talk to her right now, it'll be him."

Fuck that!

"I don't want him talking to her!" I shouted. "Why should it be _him_, of all fucking

people?"

Aro slammed his hands down on the kitchen counter top loudly. It startled Emmett

enough to make him jump suddenly. "ENOUGH, EDWARD!"

245

I narrowed my eyes at him. God I was pissed the fuck off!

Aro's finger shot out and air-jabbed in my direction. "You change that fucking look boy,

right now. I've had it with the attitude, Edward. You _back the fuck down_."

I scowled at him, but had enough sense to realise it wouldn't do my nuts _any _good to

wind him up further, so I turned my head towards a wall and opted to try burning holes in

it with my eyes. I was disappointed when nothing burst into flames. I was clearly loosing

my touch.

A _small _part of me recognised that pushing my shitty attitude onto any of them wasn't

fair. But Aro. Fuck! I was so _fucking mad _at him. And yes, the poor guy was struggling

with this as much as the rest of us. He'd already lost his fucking family once before, he

didn't want to loose the true daughter he'd waited so long for. But Christ. He and I were

going to need a serious sit down to work out the kinks that were currently crumpling our

'relationship.' Things were all fucked up and it was all _her _fault.

None of us could seemingly catch a break right now. When things appeared to be going

well with 'work' and settling down, shit things happened to Bella. When we thought

everything was hunky dory with Bella, shit hit the fan at work. What the fuck was with

that? They didn't even correlate! We didn't get all the bad at once or all the good at the

same time. No. We got the good and the fucking bad. People who said shit like 'you've

gotta take the good with the bad', could officially Suck. My. Dick. The bad was always

shitting on the good, making the enjoyment factor fucking plummet. It was _piss_.

And Bella… Oh fuck, Bella! What did she see? What was she thinking? Would she ever,

_ever _be able to look at us again? Was she thinking that we were like…_him_? Would she

want to…_leave us_?

I couldn't answer any of those questions, and some of them, I didn't want too. The fact of

the matter was, none of us had any idea what Bella had witnessed. And that was the deal

breaker, right there.

What _had _Bella seen?

**Me thinks the boys brought their mob crap home with them. Uh oh's…**

**I'd love it if you could hit that little button that says 'review'; it makes me happy**

**and spurs me on to hear peoples thoughts. It makes the nine and a half thousand**

**words worth of backache and sore eyes SOOO worth it! :D**

**Edward part 2 will **_**hopefully **_**be up this weekend, but in reality it'll probably be**

**more like early next week. Depends how much real life crap crops up.**

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